Millions of children vulnerable to economic crisis -UN
SINGAPORE: The deepening global economic crisis could raise infant
mortality and malnutrition rates by up to 10 percent, a UN official said
Tuesday, urging Asian governments to protect millions of vulnerable
children.
Despite budgetary constraints, there is no reason to cut back on
social spending, director for East Asia and the Pacific at the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Anupama Rao Singh, told a conference in
Singapore.
Singh warned that, based on previous experience, the current economic
crisis could result in a 5-10 percent increase in anemia among pregnant
women and a 10 percent rise in low birth weight among babies.
Infant mortality is expected to increase between 3.0 and 10 percent
and the malnutrition rate among children could grow by 10 percent, she
told a conference, without specifying exactly the number of youngsters
at risk.
While economies in the region have been affected by the global slump,
many are still expected to post economic growth, although at a slower
pace, she said.
"In this context, I think the first implication for us is that there
is absolutely no justification for cutting back programmes and services
for the poor or for children. This is not the time to do it," Singh
said.
"On the contrary, this is the time to sustain and actually expand
social investments."
Singh was speaking at a conference organised to assess the impact of
the global economic crisis on children.
The event was jointly sponsored by UNICEF and the Lee Kuan Yew School
of Public Policy.
Tuesday, AFP |