Transcript Child rights and health

Children are our future:
Children, Climate Change,
Social Equity & Security
The big issues as we face our future
Dr Cindy Kiro
New Zealand’s Children’s Commissioner
National Funders Forum
Te Papa 2007
An Inconvenient Truth
www.enviroschools.co.nz
“… all the people who caused oil depletion,
climate change and ecological destruction
aren't going to be around to deal with the
effects… So all the problems are going to be
burdened on the youth. We're the ones who
are going to have to find new ways of
surviving after peak oil, and during climate
chaos.”
Young Member of Just Focus
Global Education Centre
Another inconvenient truth…
The Gross Domestic Product counts building prisons and
ambulances to clear our highways of carnage… Yet it
does not allow for the health of our children, the quality
of their education, or the joy of their play… It measures
neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor
our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion …
it measures everything, in short, except that which
makes life worthwhile.”
Robert Kennedy, cited in David Piachaud, 2001. Child poverty, opportunities and
quality of life. The Political Quarterly
And closer to home….
Health and Safety of children: Overview
Innocenti Report Card, 7 Feb 2007
% in severe/ significant
hardship
2000
% in severe/ significant
hardship
2004
CHILDREN
18%
26%
Adults
25-44 yrs
12%
15%
Adults
45 – 64 yrs
8%
10%
ADULTS
45 – 64 yrs
2%
4%
Source: Data summarised by Dr Nikki Turner
from Fig 44,The Living Standards Report, MSD 2004
Estimated annual per capita Vote:Health
expenditure on health and disability
support services, 2001/02
Ministry of Health, 2003
New Zealand Health and Disability Sector overview
Source: Pedro Carneiro and James Heckman (2003)
Herald graphic 23.05.03
Thinking short and long-term…
“…by and large civil servants and politicians don’t do 2050…
They are of course understandably at the moment focused on
the next 6 months because that’s a much more pressing
timeframe, for all sorts of more obvious political reasons.
Even so, casting out to 2050 is massively complex for people
to undertake. The good thing I suppose is that you don’t
really find anybody who disagrees with the statement that we
have to do this process, this transition. We have to move
towards more sustainable and inclusive societies.”
Jonathan Porritt, Chair of the UK Government Sustainability Commission (2006). Observations on public service
and political efforts to meet their goal to reduce greenhouse gas omissions by 60% by 2050.
“What maltreated children most
need is a healthy community to
buffer the pain, distress and
loss caused by their earlier
trauma. What works to heal
them is anything that increases
the number and quality of a
child’s relationships. What
helps is consistent, patient and
repetitive loving care.”
Professor Bruce Perry, 2006
Components of a Societal Strategy for Children
Outcome definition,
measurement and reporting
Adequate
income
Effective
parenting
• Families
Enabling
conditions
Improved
Child
Outcomes
• Neighbourhoods
Goals for
children
• Communities
• Employers
• Local Govt
• National Govt
Agencies
Supportive
communities
Policy goals and instruments
Adapted from Graham Vimpani (2003)
‘Service networks to improve child health and wellbeing:
Responding to the “new morbidity”’
FOCUS ON ME
http://gallery.hd.org