Addressing plight of children vital in achieving MDGs

In 2000, one of the most historic gatherings of world leaders took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Representatives from 189 member states of the United Nations met to reflect on the world’s and their individual nation’s common destiny.

As developed states looked ahead to prosperity, most developing countries mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, were living in conflicts, poverty and environmental degradation. Majority of the people from these continents (30 per cent of some over 1 billion people) who suffer from these setbacks are children. In this era of globalisation and relative growth, close to 11 million children die before the age of five, mostly from preventable causes. Those that survive suffer from malnutrition leading to stunting and disability, lack of access to health care and education, and increased risk of exploitation, violence and HIV/Aids.

More than half the children in developing countries suffer from at least some form of severe deprivation such as having no or limited access to sanitation facilities. Even with the Universal Primary Education, most times children in developing countries never attend school, girls being the most affected. Also, millions of children are orphaned due to HIV/Aids creating to child-headed families.

Though the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are for all humankind, they are primarily about children because the first six of the eight MDGs relate directly to children. This is because children are the most vulnerable when there is insufficient food, water, sanitation and health care. Unfortunately, when we are evaluating our performance, we have always overlooked the fact that children are at the centre of the MDGs. The recent AU summit in Kampala made a difference for once by focusing on a child-related goal but this is still inadequate.

The strategies we have put forward towards the achieving the goals have not been customised for the primary duty bearers of children (parents and communities) at the local level. We talk about MDGs in conferences but for our mothers and grandmothers in the villages, the concept does not make sense and yet they take care of orphans and other children entrusted to them. We must lay a foundation that contributes to achievement of the MDGs by encouraging children to go to school and ensuring that they receive basic needs and services.

For us to achieve the MDGs, we need to focus on meeting the child-related goals because children are the first to die when basic needs are not met. Secondly, helping children reach their full potential means investing in the very progress of humanity and society. Investing in children means achieving these development goals faster, because children constitute a large percentage of the world’s poor.

Most nations have good policies and frameworks towards achieving the MDGs. The strategies we have put forward can deliver positive results but they have not been customised for the primary duty bearers of children. Developing programmes towards the achievement of the goals is not enough to deliver results; the local people need to be part of the programmes.

As we scan through the unfulfilled pledges the 189 leaders made to commit to the goals over 10 years ago, African governments need to practically address the plight of children and the goals will automatically be achieved.

Mr Ogwal works for a child development agency
ogwalben@gmail.com
+256-782-636815