The Mexican Government has approved $41 billion budget to improve child welfare and to ensure greater social cohesion for Mexican children and adolescents.
The new programme will use the $41 billion budget to spending measures targeting education, children’s health and nutrition, and protection against abuse and violence. The annex was approved by the Mexican Government on 22nd of December.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended the new Mexican Government initiative aimed at improving child welfare as a “breakthrough” towards improving the lives of Mexican children.
Twenty-seven per cent of children live in extreme poverty in rural Mexico compared to 8 per cent in the cities, according to a press release issued by UNICEF.
Children from indigenous communities are often the most marginalized. They lack access to quality education and other crucial services.
“Mexico’s economic trends are promising. But behind positive national averages and Mexico being one of the world’s 15 largest economies in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), lies a reality of poverty and marginalization of thousands of children.” – Susana Sottoli, UNICEF’s representative in Mexico
Ms. Sottoli noted that while parts of the country have development levels close to those of Scandinavia, others are more in line with sub-Saharan Africa.
She stressed that if children do not grow healthy and receive quality education today, they are unlikely to contribute to their country’s development in the years to come.
“This innovation is a breakthrough towards greater transparency in the promotion of equity, and is also bound to benefit the national economy, as well as inclusiveness and cohesion.” -Ms. Sottoli
