More than seventy percent of children in Ghana are poor.
This is according to the Multi-Dimensional Child Poverty in Ghana report put together by the National Development Planning Commission, Ghana Statistical Service and UNICEF.
According to the report, more than 3.5 million children lack quality water and sanitation, health, education, are malnourished and subjected to some form of violence.
Speaking at the launch yesterday, the First Lady Mrs. Rebecca Akufo Addo, who promised to draw the President’s attention to the findings called for a multi-sectoral action plan to improve on the lives of children.
According to her, though resources are very important, adopting this strategy will provide the foundation for tracking the progress of our set target of reducing child poverty by half, from 73% to 37% by 2030.
Delivering the keynote address at the launch of Ghana’s Multidimensional Child Poverty Report, the First lady said, the time has come for us to identify and implement interventions that will alleviate and contribute to the eventual eradication of child poverty.
“We must identify and implement interventions that will alleviate and contribute to the eventual eradication of child poverty, break the cycle of inter-generational deprivation, and develop the capacity of children to make successful transition through to adulthood”.
Mrs. Akufo-Addo also added that every child deserves critical building blocks for development such as nurturing, health, education, water, sanitation hence, the need for the Multi-dimensional Child Poverty Report to shed light on the direction we all need to take.
She charged the various stakeholders to re-double their efforts to reduce Child Poverty in the country.
“Seeing all of you here, gives me hope. There is no doubt in my mind that policymakers, practitioners and other stakeholders will re-double their efforts to reduce child poverty in Ghana”.
Mrs. Akufo- Addo also used the opportunity to commend the National Development Planning Commission, the Ghana Statistics Service, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and UNICEF, for undertaking this child poverty analysis.
