Shocking Case of Child Physical Abuse

Gurgaon, NCR :

Last week, there were shocking images on TV showing an eight-year-old boy being physically abused by his employer in Gurgaon. CNN-IBN spoke to Save the Children’s representative about what we, as responsible citizens, can do to stop child domestic labour.

Please find the link to the interview below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okjVvj8wFgo

Are you listening Mr. Finance Minister

Are you Listening Mr. Finance Minister? A Letter to the Finance Minister of India.

Dear Mr. Finance Minister,

As you get ready for February 28, we hope you will present a Budget that will hold some hope for millions of young children in India.  This year is crucial for the youngest citizens of India. In 2000, the Government made a promise to reduce the high levels of child and maternal mortality in India by 2015. At the present rate, this crucial goal will be missed.

It is shocking that government spending is less than two per cent in a country with some of the worst indices on health. For example, approximately two million children under 5 die every year in India, almost one out of three malnourished children lives in India, 45.9 per cent of children under three are underweight…

These children are dying almost entirely of preventable and treatable causes and conditions. With political will and proper utilization of funds, we can prevent the deaths of millions of children.

Sir, one of the promises that the UPA made in its Common Minimum Programme was the commitment to increase heath spending to three per cent of the GDP by 2012.

This needs to happen now. The 2010 Budget must begin to reflect the government’s avowed intent to reduce child and maternal mortality.  At the same time the Government must ensure the efficient use of allocated funds in the States with the highest levels of child and maternal mortality.

Mr. Finance Minister, we hope this budget addresses the issue of increased allocation for schemes such as the ICDS and NRHM and a commitment to introducing the National Urban Health Mission in the Eleventh Plan itself.

If India is to deliver the promise on the MDGs, it must renew its commitment to stop children from dying needlessly. Simple low-cost interventions effectively delivered for those who need it the most can save lives. Trained health workers and functioning clinics can save lives.

We ask the Government to demonstrate the political will to stop this silent epidemic that is diminishing the country’s future..

Union Budget 2011

The Union Budget was tabled in Parliament recently. Ahead of this, Times of India highlighted the low public expenditure on health using our analysis.

NEW DELHI: As the Union Budget draws near, activists have demanded increase in the spending on children. As a proportion to the total government expenditure, share of health, nutrition, water supply and sanitation stood at 5.48% on an average during 2005-2009. India spends less than 2% of GDP on health while out-of-pocket spending on health is 73%.

With some of the world's worst indices, India can ill-afford this indifference. Consider this: two million children under 5 years die every year in India, almost one out of three malnourished children live in India and 45.9% children under 3 years are underweight.

Demanding an increase in the health budget, Save the Children CEO Thomas Chandy said children were dying of preventable and treatable causes. Reduction of high levels of child and maternal mortality would be difficult to achieve with the current rate of spending. Chandy said, "The government must demonstrate the political will to stop this silent epidemic that is diminishing the country's future."

According to an analysis of public spending on health, nutrition, water and sanitation by Save the Children, expenditure had reached 1.58% in 2008-09 despite successive governments' claims to increase the health spending to 2%- 3% of GDP. But health expenditure alone without expenditure on water supply and sanitation and nutrition was less than 1% of GDP in 2004-05. This has only gone up marginally to 1.09% of GDP in 2008-09, according to the health ministry.

Spending on health care in India remains low in comparison to many developing and developed countries. Most European countries spend about 9%-11% of their GDP on public health. Government expenditure as a share of the total health expenditure in India is less than what Asian countries such as China and Indonesia spend on health care.

This has a direct impact on maternal and child mortality. Globally, it is estimated that an annual rate of decline of 4.4% is needed to reduce deaths of children under 5 by two-thirds by 2015. In India, the annual rate of decline in child mortality between 1990 and 2008 is 2.25%. As per the 2015 target, required rate of decline from 2009 to 2015 per year must be 6.28% to meet the MDG goal.