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Children's Well-Being

How Poverty Endangers the Health and Life Chances of Children in Developing Countries

Posted November 16, 2004

Children in poor countries are five times as likely to die before their fifth birthdays. Courtesy © Pan American Health Organization

Children under the age of 14 are among the most vulnerable people in the world. In poor countries, they are five times as likely to die before their fifth birthday due to perinatal causes and preventable diseases. Past the age of 10, the human rights of children are violated when they are exploited as child laborers, trafficked for sexual exploitation and pornography, and forced into service as child soldiers.

This Development Gateway Cross-Topic Special addresses Millennium Development Goal 4 , aimed at reducing by half child mortality for children under five by 2015; Goal 5, to improve maternal health; and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child whose anniversary is commemorated on Universal Children's Day on November 20. This Special also coincides with World AIDS Day on December 1, recognizing the social and medical impact on children of the global pandemic.

Youth for Development
	In poor countries, children under the age of 14 are five times as likely to die before their fifth birthday. More

HIV/AIDS
	Children and HIV/AIDS: A future in desperate search of hope as mother-to-child HIV/AIDS transmissions increase mortality. More

Population and Reproductive Health
	A million or more children are left motherless each year by the more than 500,000 women who die from pregnancy-related causes. More

Gender and Development
	The lost childhoods of boy soldiers: Tens of thousands of boys under the age of 18 are forced into armed conflicts. More

Afghanistan Reconstruction
	Afghan children are being trafficked for sexual exploitation and labor. More

Poverty
	The quality of education systems is failing children in many parts of the world, according to a new UNESCO report. More

Information and Communication Technologies for Development
	How ICT is being used to enhance children's education in developing countries. More

Indigenous Issues
	The impact of denying citizenship to indigenous children: The Hill Tribes of Southeast Asia. More

Culture and Development
	Cultural traditions can help children in crisis cope by salvaging family histories and rebuilding ethnic identities. More

Food Security
	School feeding programs are enabling millions of children worldwide to attend schools. More

Civic Engagement
	The role of civil society in promoting children's well-being. More

Non-Governmental Organizations
	Zambian NGOs are working with youth to tackle HIV/AIDS through innovative approaches. More

Iraq: Relief and Recovery
	Children living in areas of conflict suffer for years ahead. More

Vietnam Country Gateway
	Orphans find emotional outlet at clubs for young reporters in provinces and cities. More

DG Expert Perspective:
Hearing the Voices of Children:
Poverty Leads to Growing Abuse
of Children’s Human Rights

Thetis Mangahas

Thetis Mangahas is the Chief Technical Adviser and Programme Manager of the International Labour Organization Mekong Sub-Regional Project to Combat Trafficking in Children and Women. She was co-organizer of the Mekong Children’s Forum on Human Trafficking. More

Mekong Children's Forum

Children from Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam presented recommendations for action on human trafficking at the Mekong Children’s Forum, an effort by ILO-IPEC to bring people most affected by regional trafficking into the dialogue.

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		Save the Children USA


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		World Bank Children and Youth site