LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)- Malawi is ranked 149, and scores 619 out of 172 countries in the world where many children are missing out childhood.
This is the last “End of the Childhood Report 2017,” in which Save the Children launched in the capital Lilongwe on Thursday.
Dubbed “Stolen Childhoods”, the report rated 172 countries; Norway tops the list with few children missing out on their childhood.
On the other hand, Niger is rock bottom on the world log table for allowing most children to miss out on childhood.
The report says indicators used to measure the end of childhood include: under-five mortality, malnutrition that stunts growth, out of school children, child labor, early marriage, adolescent births, displacement by conflict, and child homicide.
The study makes the scanting revelations that about 263 million children worldwide, are out of school, 168 million are involved in child labor, 156 million under-five have stunted growth, 40 million girls (aged 15-19), are currently married or in s union, 28 million have been displaced from their homes, 16 million girls (aged 25-19), give birth each year, and 75,000 boys and girls under the age of 20, were murdered in 2015 worldwide.
Speaking after presenting the report, Tina Yu, Save the Children’s Country Director, called upon governments including Malawi, to seriously invest in children so that they have access to basic services, including social protection services.
Yu said there should be an end to discriminatory policies, norms, and behaviours that prevent girls from accessing health services.
She added that governments need to ensure that all children are counted in data that is used to measure progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We call on world leaders to value children, and their right to survive, thrive and be protected by following on the commitments made under the SDGs.
“Save the Children is asking for three things for governments to do including investing in children, ensuring that all children are treated equally, and counting and including all children regardless of who they are or where they are from”, urges Yu.
Echoing on the report, Jessie Kabwira Parliamentary Women Caucus Chairperson, appealed for the formulation of policies that will guide in the implementation of all child-related laws the national assembly has enacted.
In her remarks, Gender Minister Jean Kalilani, welcomed the report and said it was an eye-opener for improvement in children’s welfare in the country.
Kalilani assured the nation that government will analyze the report critically, and come up with the roadmap to turn round the table.