India fails to give kids a safe childhood, ranks a poor 116
Scores Worst In Protecting The Girl Child
India has fared poorly ranking 116 in the global index of places where childhood is most and least threatened, lagging behind many of its neighbouring countries like Myanmar (112), Bhutan (93), Sri Lanka (61) and Maldives (48).The index is part of a new report `Stolen Childhoods', from Save the Children, which assesses children missing out on childhood. The index scores reflect the average level of performance across a set of eight indicators related to child health, education, labour, marriage, childbirth and violence.
India scored 754 points. According to the report, one in every 21 children being born in India are dying before reaching their fifth birthday , whereas 47 million youth of upper secondary age are not in school. While India has the highest number of stunted children in the world, it also accounts for the largest number of child labourers under age 14 among all nations.
Data show India's worst performance was in indicators which reflect safeguarding the girl child. For instance, 10.3 crore girls in India were married before they had turned 18 and 50% of all adolescent births occur in just seven countries which includes India. The stunting rate among Indian girls is also very high with one-third of girls aged 15-19 being stunted even as in most countries stunting rates are higher for boys than for girls.
Stunted growth is caused by chronic malnutrition in the first 1,000 days of a child's life (from the start of pregnancy to age 2). Chronic malnutrition at this stage of life is largely irreversible, and stunted children face a lifetime of lost opportunities in education and work. Such children are also more likely to succumb to illness and disease. Nearly half of all deaths in children under 5 years of age are attributable to under-nutrition. Data show 38.7% Indian children aged 0-59 months are severely malnourished.
India scored 754 points. According to the report, one in every 21 children being born in India are dying before reaching their fifth birthday , whereas 47 million youth of upper secondary age are not in school. While India has the highest number of stunted children in the world, it also accounts for the largest number of child labourers under age 14 among all nations.
Data show India's worst performance was in indicators which reflect safeguarding the girl child. For instance, 10.3 crore girls in India were married before they had turned 18 and 50% of all adolescent births occur in just seven countries which includes India. The stunting rate among Indian girls is also very high with one-third of girls aged 15-19 being stunted even as in most countries stunting rates are higher for boys than for girls.
Stunted growth is caused by chronic malnutrition in the first 1,000 days of a child's life (from the start of pregnancy to age 2). Chronic malnutrition at this stage of life is largely irreversible, and stunted children face a lifetime of lost opportunities in education and work. Such children are also more likely to succumb to illness and disease. Nearly half of all deaths in children under 5 years of age are attributable to under-nutrition. Data show 38.7% Indian children aged 0-59 months are severely malnourished.
Source: Times of India, 1-06-2017
