UNICEF: 69 Million Children Under Five May Die from Preventable Diseases

By Paul Obi in Abuja, with agency report

A new report by UNICEF on Tuesday said based on current trends and prevailing conflicts around the world, 69 million children under five will die from mostly preventable causes, 167 million children will live in poverty, and 750 million women will have been married as children by 2030. the target date for the Sustainable Development Goals.

The UNICEF Flagship Report on State of the World’s Children stressed that the world should focus more on the plight of its most disadvantaged children, according to a UNICEF report released on Tuesday.

UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, said the report “paints a stark picture of what is in store for the world’s poorest children if governments, donors, businesses and international organizations do not accelerate efforts to address their needs.

“Denying hundreds of millions of children a fair chance in life does more than threaten their futures – by fueling intergenerational cycles of disadvantage, it imperils the future of their societies.

“We have a choice: Invest in these children now or allow our world to become still more unequal and divided.”

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