Day: September 6, 2022

Back to School season starts, but not for millions of children in sub-Saharan Africa

As the school year gets underway in many parts of the world, the Global Education Monitoring Report and UNESCO Institute for Statistics release chilling new estimates of children out of school: their figures reveal that 244 million children and youth aged 6-18 worldwide missed out on school in 2021. And numbers are on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa.

The results are published online on the VIEW website. They are based on a novel estimation method, which combines administrative and survey data. This new estimation of the out-ofschool rate marks a significant improvement to the robustness of the estimates that responds to the UN call for a data revolution.

This trend is even more pronounced for the most vulnerable children, especially for the 5.5 million forcibly displaced children, including over 850,000 refugees, in the West and Central Africa region, the vast majority of whom face great difficulties in returning to school.

Only days before the Transforming Education Summit, these figures remind us that the global education crisis is having a devastating impact on the future of children and youth around the world. It is hoped that this summit will elevate education to the top of the global political agenda and mobilise concerted action for real equity and inclusion in access to quality education for all children, including the most marginalised.

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

The former Irish President has called on African nations to pile on the pressure on rich, heavily-polluting countries to fulfill their climate pledges to the continent during a visit to Uganda.

Mary Robinson, who is also chair of the Elders group of global leaders who advocate for peace and justice, told The Associated Press on Monday that the Group of 20 “must come up with new plans” to support Africa with its climate change efforts at the upcoming United Nations climate conference in November, known as COP27.

On Monday, European nations pledged a further $25 billion to the continent to help countries adapt to the effects of climate change. The continent has suffered in an ongoing devastating drought in the east, with flooding and cyclones severely damaging southern countries.

Robinson said that the Elders “feel very strongly that we need COP27 to succeed” and encouraged African leaders “to create political pressure” so that developed countries can fulfill their promises.

Rich countries have so far failed to keep a $100-billion-a-year pledge to poorer nations to help them adapt to the effects of climate change and transition to greener energy sources. Developed nations are larger emitters than poorer ones, with the African continent contributing just 3% to 4% of global emissions despite being 17% of the global population.

“We do not want to have a situation where promises that are not fulfilled undermine further the existing trust," Robinson said. She added that developed countries should “give more to get clean energy, technology and investments towards African countries.”

Robinson is in Uganda for her second visit to the continent this year and is promoting renewable energy initiatives in schools alongside youth climate activist Vanessa Nakate.

Robinson noted that COP27, which will be held in the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, will be regarded as an “African COP.”

She added: “It will be more an African COP if there are more voices from Africa and the developing world making this as inclusive as possible” and highlighted the importance of younger and more diverse voices.

Source: Voice of America

Zimbabwe is struggling to contain a measles outbreak that has killed nearly 700 people, most of them children and young people.

Zimbabwe’s government said Tuesday thousands of people have been infected with measles since an April outbreak and 698 people have died, most of them children.

Zimbabwe’s health ministry blames some religious sects for the outbreak. It says some religious groups and traditional leaders preach against getting vaccinations.

Health authorities have since been struggling to contain the infectious viral disease, which causes a rash, cough, and high fever, and can be fatal for unvaccinated children.

“Measles is a very contagious, infectious disease that spreads when a number of unvaccinated children rises beyond critical thresholds,” said Alex Gasarira, the World Health Organization’s representative in Zimbabwe. “So, what we have in Zimbabwe right now is because the number of unvaccinated children has risen because of several factors: Community who are not comfortable to have their children vaccinated, disruption [of] vaccination services because of the recent COVID-19 pandemic.”

The rising death toll is fueling calls in Zimbabwe for mandatory shots to halt the virus, but experts says the effort has to be well organized.

“Compulsory immunization has to be well planned, and it has to cover every child in this country,” said Tinashe Mundawarara of the Zimbabwe Health Law and Policy Consortium. “That would ensure that the best interest of the child is really considered.”

Zimbabwe’s health authorities have not yet made the measles vaccination mandatory and were not immediately available for comment.

But they have been campaigning for all children between six and 15 years old to be immunized and are working with aid groups like the U.N. Children’s Fund, UNICEF, to educate those who resist.

UNICEF Zimbabwe’s Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale said his organization and others are working with the government to contain the outbreak.

“Just like [during] the COVID response, the government of Zimbabwe and partners are taking seriously the current outbreak of measles that we currently have in the country,” he said. “At present, the government has deployed rapid response team supported by UNICEF, WHO and other partners to help better track the incidents of measles. More importantly, UNICEF and our community actors are also working hand in hand to increase awareness of the measles vaccine and also help address community resistance to the vaccination.”

The measles outbreak was first reported in Zimbabwe’s Manicaland province, which borders Mozambique, and has since spread nationwide.

Source: Voice of America