Children 2002 charting change.

Children 2002 Charting Change.

150 million children in developing countries are malnourished

More than half of underweight children live in South Asia


South Asia                78
Sub-Saharan Africa        32
East Asia/Pacific         27
Middle East/North Africa   7
Latin America/Caribbean    4
CEE/CIS                    2

Note: Table made from pie chart

Malnutrition is implicated in more than half of all child deaths worldwide. Three quarters of the children who die from causes related to malnutrition were only mildly or moderately undernourished, showing no outward sign of their vulnerability. Poverty, low levels of education and poor access to health services are major contributors to childhood malnutrition, a complex issue that requires tackling on a wide number of fronts, such as:

* Ensuring food security for poor households;

* Educating families in the special nutritional needs of young children;

* Protecting children from infections, through immunization against childhood diseases and provision of safe water and sanitation.

1.1 billion people are without access to safe drinking water


Middle East/North Africa   4%
CEE/CIS                    4%
Latin America/Caribbean    6%
South Asia                19%
Sub-Saharan Africa        25%
East Asia/Pacific         42%

Access to water is a crucial element in the reduction of under-five mortality and morbidity, particularly in poor urban areas.

* Diarrhoea. About 4 billion cases per year cause 2.2 million deaths, mostly among children under five;

* Trachoma. About 6 million people are blind from trachoma. Provision of adequate water supply could reduce the infection rate by 25 per cent;

* Schistosomiasis. About 200 million people are infected. Adequate water supply and sanitation could reduce infection rate by 77 per cent;

* Cholera. This worldwide problem can be prevented by access to safe drinking water, sanitation and good hygiene.

Polio cases dropped by 99 per cent from 1988 to 2000

Estimated number of polio cases (in thousands)


1988  344,900
1989  260,900
1990  233,600
1991  134,900
1992  137,700
1993   75,300
1994   72,500
1995   59,900
1996   32,800
1997   18,500
1998   10,900
1999   10,100
2000    3,500

Note: Table made from bar graph

Every year, over 10 million children under the age of five die from readily preventable and treatable illnesses, such as diarrhoeal dehydration, acute respiratory infection, measles and malaria. In half of the cases, illness is complicated by malnutrition. The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness was developed in 1992 by the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organization, with the aim of prevention or early detection and treatment of the leading childhood killers.

Two thirds do family work

Percentage of children aged 5-14 engaged


Any kind of work              19
Paid work                      3
Unpaid work                    4
Domestic work (4+ hours/day)   3
Family work                   12

Note: Table made from bar graph

In more than 30 countries, covering 35 per cent of the developing world population, 19 per cent of 5-to 14-year-olds work. Sub-Saharan Africa shows the highest proportions of children working. Two thirds of those working do so for a family farm or business. Less than 5 per cent are:

* engaged in paid or unpaid work for someone outside the household;

* assigned housekeeping chores for four or more hours per day.

There are no significant differences between boys and girls in the proportion working. But there are substantial urban-rural differences: 21 per cent work in rural areas; and 13 per cent work in urban areas.