MARIO CUOMO CITES IMPORTANCE OF THE
DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD IN A LETTER
. TO HIS FELLOW GOVERNORS
1 . *
The commemoration of this "Day", carried out throughout the world,
people everywhere to celebrate the children of Africa and to contribute
to building a better place for children. In the United States the Day of
the African Child provides ail opportunity to celebrate the heritage of
African-American children and connect youngsters of the two conti
nents, while focusing public attetktOn on the need to develop greater
understanding of the culture, history and traditions of Africa.** / j ;
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Children and women are the focus of UNICEF's ? Hfesaving work.
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BALANCE SHEET OF HUMAN
PROGRESS IN AFRICA
; i 'l ... .
ACHIEVEMENTS
* \ * < . ,
Average life expectancy in Africa has'1!
risen to 54 years, an increase of 1 3
years since I960.
The current under-five mortality rate
of 180 per I ,000 live births is, half that
of 1960.
Two thirds of African countries have
against the six major childhood diseases.
In urban areas, more than 80 percent of
children have safe drinkihg water.
In the 1980's African governments
provided access to safe water and ade
quate sanitation to an additional 120
million of their citizens.
Primary school enrollment rose drama
tically during the 1970s from 65 to 90
percent for boys, and from 44 to 69
Secondary school enrollment jumped 5
times, from 3.5 percent in 1960 to 18.7
percent in 1980; it grew to 217 percent
in 1985, before falling back to 19.8
percent in 1990.
' If the year 2000 goals are achieved,
more than 90 million girls and women
will have access to basic education and
literacy and 100,000 pregnancy-related
deaths will be avoided a year.
African women are key actors in local
development and are increasingly rep
resented in formal decision-making and
national life.
chai.i.fm\es
Africa's life expectancy still lags 20 years
behind that 'of the industriulized-wofkir-?
Children in Africa still die at 10 times
the rate of industrialized countries.
* v. V
Half of all* Africans have no access to v
basic health care.
About 29 million African children.
or one quarter of those under five,
are underweight.
? . ? i
In rural areas, only 40 percent of chil
dren have access to safe drinking water. ?
Today 310 million people still lack
access to safe drinking water, and 385
. million lack adequate sanitation ser
vices in Africa.
Primary school enrollment rate for
boys and girls fell by roughly 7 per
percent for girls, cent in the 1980's.
Education spending per capita in indus
trialized countries is roughly 20 times
that of Africa, and in Asia almost twice
as high. -
Nearly 65 percent of African women
over the age of 15 are illiterate, com
pared to 40 percent of males.
African women have the second high
est rpaternal mortality rate in the
world, with an average of 626 deaths
per 100,000 live births.
An estimated 7.5 million Africans are HIV
infected, among them 750,000 children.
UNICEF conducts' psychosocial programs for children traumatized by war. Hare, children
play a game of trust and friendship.