Striving to ensure every child is healthy and protected
A few weeks ago, UNICEF, one of the United Nations’ leading agencies, released the State of the World’s Children report. Published annually since 1980, the report helps “monitor the trends that are shaping and reshaping the lives of children and young people (around the world)” and serves as an important tool for advocating for children and young people around the world. It is important to note that although Africa has made important progress on children’s issues in recent decades, major problems remain.
The following paragraphs draw from the SOWC to set out Eritrea’s commitment to its children and briefly discuss a powerful manifestation of this – child health-related developments.
Unwavering commitment and a strong policy framework
Eritrea is one of the youngest countries in the world and is rich in natural resources. It is home to many different ethnolinguistic groups, with a rich and beautiful culture and vibrant diversity. The country’s long and pristine coastline on the Red Sea holds huge potential for building a thriving blue economy, while its geostrategic location on one of the world’s most important international sea lanes offers unlimited opportunities to become a major transshipment and logistics hub. Furthermore, Eritrea’s rich biodiversity, richness of unique socio-cultural and historical sites, unspoilt islands and pleasant climate, coupled with relative peace and security and the general hospitality of its people, provide the conditions for a booming tourism industry Excellent possibility.
However, beyond all these advantages, the Eritrean people, especially children and adolescents, are undoubtedly the country’s greatest resource and most valuable asset. This has been clarified and explained by state documents and government officials. For example, the country’s National Charter, adopted in February 1994, provides a guiding vision for the country, declaring: “Eritrea shall strive to reduce infant mortality and care for its children. Tens of thousands of children of martyrs who have lost the love of their parents, as well as other orphans Children’s rights to education, health, love, safety, play and human dignity must be respected in Eritrea.”
Furthermore, in the 2022 Voluntary National Development Report submitted to the United Nations and presented at the High-level Political Forum, Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebre Meskel explained that “the policy of the Eritrean government has always been steadfast in investing in human capital and youth, without any No doubt, this is our most important resource and greatest asset.”
Since independence, the country has been committed to realizing the rights of children and adolescents and reducing their vulnerability in society. The first international convention Eritrea ratified after independence was the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and it joined the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) in December 1999, shortly after the Charter came into effect. A strong focus on promoting and protecting the rights, well-being and development of children and young people. In Eritrea, national laws and policies provide for the legal rights, freedoms and protection of children, and a national children’s policy document is being drafted and developed to further safeguard and promote children’s rights and general well-being. finalized.
Importantly, today there are a number of policy initiatives and programs in place aimed at ensuring that every Eritrean child and adolescent, regardless of background, is protected, healthy and educated, with special attention to vulnerable groups. In addition to multiple policies and measures to promote inclusive education and health, strong legal and enforcement measures prohibit child labour, trafficking, abuse, exploitation, underage marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM/C), stakeholders, trans Departmental initiatives are implemented to help address their root causes.
It is important to note that orphans, vulnerable children and at-risk youth receive extensive support to protect them from harm through the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW), different organizations and government-supported boarding houses and group homes. multiple risks and help improve their standard of living. A number of national youth groups and associations, notably the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students (NUEYS) and the National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW), exist to empower youth and children and provide them with the necessary skills, support and support to achieve their goals and opportunities. their potential and provide a platform through which their voices can be amplified and their engagement increased. They also help celebrate the country’s rich ethnolinguistic diversity and promote mutual understanding, civic engagement, national cohesion and unity.
Strong demonstration of commitment to children
There is no tragedy in life like the death of a child. Across the world, due to a variety of factors and developments, this profound tragedy is far less common today than it once was: the killing of children in conflict zones is deplorable. Over the past two centuries, and particularly in the past few decades, the world has made tremendous progress in reducing childhood deaths from treatable diseases. Despite global progress, large disparities remain and improving child survival remains an urgent global concern, particularly in vast areas of the Southern Hemisphere, particularly sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South Asia.
Remarkably, in Eritrea, despite limited resources, an extremely difficult regional geopolitical environment, and a series of daunting challenges, the young developing country has made significant progress in reducing child deaths in a relatively short period of time. Specifically, the country has significantly reduced deaths per 1,000 live births from 146 in 1991 to 37 in 2022. To put this into better context, the country has gone from having one of the highest under-five mortality rates during the Ethiopian occupation to now being a leader on the African continent and the wider developing world. Notably, Eritrea’s average annual reduction rate during this period was approximately 4.5%, one of the fastest in the world.
Eritrea’s significant progress in reducing child mortality has been driven by multiple factors across multiple sectors. In addition to the high-level political will and commitment described in the previous section, the country has made steady progress in women’s education and empowerment, significantly expanded health-related and general infrastructure, added doctors, nurses, and other health personnel, Vastly improved access and service delivery, and delivered a range of far-reaching, cost-effective, life-saving interventions.
Prominent among these is routine childhood vaccination, with the latest national measles and rubella vaccination campaign being a good example. At independence, there were only six vaccines available for children, with national coverage less than 10%. However, in subsequent years, routine vaccination programs grew steadily. Today, Eritrea has administered 14 vaccines, with national coverage reaching almost 90s, well above the continental and global averages. Notably, during an extended working visit to Eritrea in late 2021, UNICEF Regional Director for East and Southern Africa Mohammed Malick Fall explained that he was “concerned about the immunization (of Eritrean children). “Shocking levels of vaccination,” then went on to note that “[these coverage levels]are difficult to achieve in many developed countries.”
Ultimately, these interventions help prevent serious illness, disability and death from a range of dangerous and debilitating diseases in children and adolescents.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of the Ministry of Information of Eritrea.
