UNICEF報告發現嶄新指標量度貧困對兒童的影響 東亞及太平洋地區兒童生活飽受多重剝削
2011-11-22
![Literature showing the impact of AIDS lying on their desks, adolescent girls and boys listen to a presentation on AIDS awareness and prevention, part of a student-to-student education exchange initiative supported by UNICEF, in a village in the south-eastern province of Svay Rieng. In 2000 in Cambodia, after more than a decade of intermittent peace, the country is continuing its recovery from 30 years of conflict, including genocide. Despite progress in health and nutrition, maternal and infant mortality rates are the highest in south-east Asia, most of the predominantly rural population still lacks access to essential services, and problems of ongoing violence, displacement and landmines continue to take their toll. HIV/AIDS is spreading rapidly, accelerated by a growing commercial sex industry, with an estimated 35 per cent of sex workers under 18 years of age, almost half of whom are presumed to be HIV positive. With half of the country's population under 18 years of age, these indicators represent a major threat to their future, including increased rates of mother-to-child transmission. UNICEF programmes to help combat the spread of HIV/AIDS include support for prevention and awareness programmes to all social sectors, including student-to-student education exchanges, the provision of testing and counselling services, and improved access to recovery and care for affected children and families.](/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/22-11-11_povertyreport_1-300x214.jpg)
![Accompanied by a toddler, a woman stokes a cooking fire in a village in the south-eastern province of Svay Rieng. In 2000 in Cambodia, after more than a decade of intermittent peace, the country is continuing its recovery from 30 years of conflict, including genocide. Despite progress in health and nutrition, maternal and infant mortality rates are the highest in south-east Asia, most of the predominantly rural population still lacks access to essential services, and problems of ongoing violence, displacement and landmines continue to take their toll. HIV/AIDS is spreading rapidly, accelerated by a growing commercial sex industry, with an estimated 35 per cent of sex workers under 18 years of age, almost half of whom are presumed to be HIV positive. With half of the country's population under 18 years of age, these indicators represent a major threat to their future, including increased rates of mother-to-child transmission. UNICEF programmes to help combat the spread of HIV/AIDS include support for prevention and awareness programmes to all social sectors, including student-to-student education exchanges, the provision of testing and counselling services, and improved access to recovery and care for affected children and families.](/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/22-11-11_povertyreport_2-300x214.jpg)
举例说,在老挝,倘仅以收入的角度来看,当地贫困儿童约佔38%,但若以上文提及较全面的指标进行量度,则发现该国多达75%儿童正承受贫困所带来的负面结果。而这套量度贫困的指标的认受性亦愈来愈高。
至于在越南,相比其他儿童,少数族裔儿童缺乏生活必需条件的机会足可高出11倍,情况在其他国家亦非常普遍。另外,在瓦努阿图,每5名儿童,则差不多有1名儿童严重缺乏医疗保健服务。
研究亦指出,要收窄东亚及太平洋地区的贫富悬殊问题,改善现时大量儿童发展受阻的情况,各界需要付出更大努力。即使过去10年,上述7个国家的国内生产总值均见明显增长,但国内收入不均衡的情况却未有改善,部分国家的比率甚至不跌反升,不均衡问题持续蔓延。纾缓儿童基本生活条件匮乏与发展差距的问题,必须纳入国家整体发展及扶贫规划之中,政府亦应公开资源分配的情况。一套关注儿童的社会保障政策,回应最脆弱儿童的诉求,亦是改善儿童生活匮乏的必要条件。
儿童来自乡村或市区、不同学歷水平的家庭、不同的种族和不同的区份,是促成这7个地区的儿童生活质素与发展存在差异最明显的因素。
乡村和市区——各地乡村的儿童贫穷比率较市区的比率均要高,在柬埔寨、泰国、菲律宾和越南,所录得的比率分別高出30%、60%、130%和180%。
区域性差距——某些情况下,国内地区性的差距比中等与低收入国家之间的差距来得更要显着。例如,越南西北部地区生活条件严重不足的儿童数目比当地红河三角洲地区的数目高出6倍有多,而泰国南部比北部的就高出一半。
种族性差距——7个受访地区少数族裔儿童的贫困和生活条件不足的比率均异常地高。例如,在老挝和蒙古的少数族裔儿童严重缺乏基本生活条件的数目比一般儿童的高出60%,在菲律宾和泰国的比率分別更高出9倍和近15倍。
父母教育水平——父母只有小学或以下教育水平的家庭严重缺乏基本生活条件的比率,较父母受过中学或高等教育的家庭高出逾1倍。
家庭人数——在蒙古和越南,7人或以上家庭基本生活条件出现严重不足的机会,比4人以下的家庭高出近1倍。同样的比率在泰国高出2倍有多。