The
future of every single child in the world is at risk as nations across the
world fail to curb the effects of climate change and provide a clean and
healthy environment essential for their well-being, according to a report
commissioned by the United Nations.
Climate
change, ecological degradation, migrating populations, conflict, pervasive
inequalities, and predatory commercial practices threaten the health and future
of children in every country, says the report, authored by more than 40 child
and adolescent health experts.
While
the children in wealthy nations have a better chance at survival and
well-being, those same countries disproportionately contribute to the carbon
emissions threatening the future of all children, the joint report by the World
Health Organization, UNICEF and medical journal The Lancet found.
It
further added that not a single country performed well in all three categories
measured: child flourishing, sustainability, and equity.
“Countries
need to overhaul their approach to child and adolescent health, to ensure that
we not only look after our children today but protect the world they will
inherit in the future,” said New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Helen Clark,
who is now the co-chair of the international commission that produced the
report.
The
report also highlighted the threats to children posed by the commercial sector.
Exposure to marketing and advertisements of junk food, and fat- and sugar-laden
foods are linked to obesity among children.
The
number of obese children and adolescents increased tenfold from 11 million in
1975 to 124 million by 2016, the authors noted.
Children
are also exposed to advertisements of products meant for adults — such as
alcohol, tobacco and gambling — boosting their chances of consumption.
The
report calls for children to be placed at the center of the efforts to achieve
the sustainable development goals agreed in 2015.
“The
SDGs convey a dual vision: to protect our planet from a dangerous and uncertain
future and to ensure that we deliver secure, fair, and healthy lives for future
generations. Children are at the heart of this vision, with their own needs,
rights, perspectives, and contributions,” it said.
A
Guest Editorial
