RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER - Bertrand Bainvel, UNICEF representative to Jamaica, chats with students at the launch of the State of the World's Children Report 2005, an updated situation analysis of Jamaican children, at the Fletcher's Land community centre yesterday.HIV/AIDS, VIOLENCE and poverty are the three ills identified by UNICEF as robbing Jamaican children of their childhood.
Bertrand Bainvel, a representative of UNICEF, made the disclosure yesterday while giving an overview of the situation of children in Jamaica. His review showed rising numbers of children estimated to have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS or murdered, as well as a decline in immunisation rates.
ORPHANED BY HIV/AIDS
The UNICEF representative, who was launching the 2005 report on 'The State of the World's Children' at the Fletcher's Land community
centre, said that in 2004, more than 5,000 children were estimated to have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS while another 10,000 to 20,000 were estimated to be living in households with HIV/AIDS.
Meanwhile, 119 children were reported to have been murdered in 2004, 430 were shot and more than 900 were said to be victims of sexual abuse, including rape.
"I am making a particular plea to all leaders in their community, including dons, as well as families, to do all they can to stop the killing of children, to break the suicidal cycle of murders and reprisals and to do all they can to keep children out of violence and let them grow and learn in peace," Mr. Bainvel said.
He said immunisation rates were about 90 per cent in 2000 but this declined to approximately 80 per cent in 2003 with preliminary figures up to October in 2004 showing further slippage.
The UNICEF representative called for parliamentarians to quickly review the National HIV/AIDS Policy and for relevant ministries to increase access to treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS. He said there was need to significantly expand the prevention activities and education among teenagers and to support legislation that would prohibit any form of discrimination.
He said policymakers should review existing social safety nets and examine user fees to ensure that no child misses out on social, health and educational services.
