Worldwide Poverty Statistics

[Collins Odhiambo]

 

Half the world — nearly three billion people — live on less than two dollars a day. According to UNICEF, 26,500-30,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.” Around 27-28 percent of all children in developing countries are estimated to be underweight or stunted. The two regions that account for the bulk of the deficit are South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
If current trends continue, the Millennium Development Goals target of halving the proportion of underweight children will be missed by 30 million children, largely because of slow progress in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Based on enrollment data, about 72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005; 57 per cent of them were girls. And these are regarded as optimisitic numbers.
Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen.
Infectious diseases continue to blight the lives of the poor across the world. An estimated 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, with 3 million deaths in 2004. Every year there are 350–50 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities:
Africa accounts for 90 percent of malarial deaths and African children account
for over 80 percent of malaria victims worldwide.
8. Number of children in the world
2.2 billion
Number in poverty
1 billion (every second child)

Shelter, safe water and health
For the 1.9 billion children from the developing world, there are:
8.
* 640 million without adequate shelter (1 in 3)
* 400 million with no access to safe water (1 in 5)
* 270 million with no access to health services (1 in 7)
Children out of education worldwide
121 million

Survival for children worldwide,
8.
* 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (same as children population in France, Germany,
Greece and
Italy)
* 1.4 million die each year from lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation
Health of children worldwide,
8.
* 2.2 million children die each year because they are not immunized
* 15 million children orphaned due to HIV/AIDS (similar to the total children population in Germany or United Kingdom)

[Wurie Mamadu Tamba Barrie]

It is of know doubt that the world know about these scary statistics, Individuals in Government and the policy makers and enforcers know what to do... they are reclutant to do what it takes to make poverty a histroy. It has become a traditions that one must corrupt to survive and believe in the adagea the=at say "Kill the weak to survive".

 

One of the importance of these forum, i believe is to galvanise our effort around across borders and help the institutions designated for mitigating corruption in our various countries and mobilise young people to stand against corruption.

 

Let do what we are doing, it yeild fruit.