Child poverty a major challenge, says study

Poverty and HIV/AIDS are the major challenges facing children in South Africa, says a new report by the University of Cape Town (UCT). UCT's Children's Institute issued its "fact sheet on childhood poverty" as South Africa celebrated national Child Protection Week, which started on Monday. "Poverty, unemployment and inequality appear to be increasing in South Africa. At least 45 percent of the population live in absolute poverty. This figure varies between 45 percent and 55 percent, depending on the poverty line and measure used," the institute noted. "For children, the statistics show that between 57 percent and 75 percent of children in South Africa are living in poverty [depending on the poverty measure used]." An assessment of the situation of children in South Africa, also recently completed by the Children's Institute, indicated that "key stakeholders in the children's rights sector view poverty and HIV/AIDS as part of the underlying and exacerbating causes of violations of children's rights". Child abuse and violence were also noted as key challenges. UNAIDS statistics indicate that South Africa has an HIV prevalence rate of 20.1 percent in adults aged 15 to 49. With regard to poverty, the Institute explained that there were various ways of measuring it, producing different quantities and perspectives. "Child and family poverty can be measured in relative terms. People are ranked according to per capita or household income, with the poorest being found, for instance, in the bottom 40 percent of households in the population." "Poverty can also be measured in absolute terms, calculating the minimum income that would be required to provide for basic needs, survival, and a healthy life. Thus the poorest children are identified as those in households with incomes below the poverty line," the institute noted. Research showed that when using the relative poverty measure, 59 percent of children in South Africa aged 17 years or younger lived in poverty - "an estimated 10.5 million children". "When using an absolute poverty measure of R490 [about US $62 at the current exchange rate] household income per month as the minimum income required for basic needs, survival, and a healthy life, 75 percent of 0- to 17-year olds live in poverty - an estimated 14.3 million," the Children's Institute found. This meant that three out of four children in South Africa lived in poverty. When using an absolute poverty measure of R245, about US $31 at the current exchange rate, household income per month, 57 percent of children 17 years and younger lived in "dire poverty" - an estimated 11 million. These children were desperately in need of support. The South African rand has been extremely volatile over the past two years, plunging to levels of R13 per US $1 and recovering to levels below R8 to US $1. Individuals surviving on less than US $1 a day are said to be living in poverty, according to the UN. The institute observed that whether analysing child poverty using an absolute or relative measure, it was evident that between 57 percent and 75 percent of children in South Africa were living in varying degrees of poverty. South Africa's poverty alleviation interventions appeared to be uncoordinated and fragmented. Extending a child support grant to all children up to 14 years old would be an important first step. "This should be followed with a clear commitment to extend the child support grant to all children up to the age of 18 years as the first phase of implementing a basic income grant for all South Africans, as recommended by the Taylor Committee of Inquiry into a Comprehensive Social Security System," the institute said. It concluded that to protect children, South Africa needed "comprehensive programmes that adequately support children and families living in poverty, and those affected by, or infected with, HIV/AIDS". "Existing programmes are not extensive enough in their coverage, and do not reach the majority of children living in poverty," the institute said.