Major Concerns Affecting Children  

- Child Labor:
- Economic exploitation – estimated 200 million children are forced to work.
- Child Prostitution: One million are forced into prostitution each year, with most of them contracting HIV/ AIDS. Street Children: Over 100 million under the age of 15.
- Commerce of Babies
- Commerce of children’s organs
- Half the refugee population are children.

FOCUS ON CHILDREN:

1. HUNGER
All One child in three in the developing world is malnourished. Each day, over 40,000 children die due to malnutrition or easily preventable diseases. Every minute thirty children die for want of food and inexpensive medicines.

2. HEALTH
120,000 children are born each year intellectually handicapped because of lack of iodine, a deficiency which can be remedied easily and cheaply. 250,000 children go blind each year because of lack of Vitamin A. 4 out of 5 in rural areas do not have adequate water or sanitation. 4 out of 5 do not have access to modern health care.

3. EDUCATION
90 percent of children in the developing world enroll for school but only 68% complete four years. In 1993, 130 million children (between 6 and 11) were not attending school.

4. WAR
In 1995, in Africa alone, during the first 10 months, ½ million children died due to armed conflicts. During the last decade, 6 million have become disabled because of wars.