Posted on 09/05/2003 3:53:29 PM PDT by chance33_98
Population Connection Releases Its Kid-Friendly Countries Report Card
9/5/03 5:00:00 PM
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To: National Desk
Contact: Tawana Jacobs of Population Connection, 202-745-3179 or 202-489-5238 (cell); e-mail: tjacobs@popconnect.org; Web site: http://www.populationconnection.org
WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Population Connection released the results of its Kid-Friendly Countries Report Card during a morning drive radio tour on Thursday, September 4. The report card offers a peek at how kids in countries with populations of more than 10 million are faring around the world. Researchers looked at the health of the environment, education, and health care systems in 80 countries. Surprising many, the United States ranked near the bottom of the top ten, coming in at seventh place - behind Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, France, the United Kingdom and Portugal. As expected, African countries ranked lowest on the report card, making that continent the worst for kids.
"The United States' lower-than-expected showing can be attributed in part to its high teen pregnancy rate of 13 percent - the highest rate among developed countries. The rate in the U.S. is twice as high as it is in the United Kingdom or Canada and nine times as high as in the Netherlands or Japan," said Population Connection president Peter Kostmayer during the morning interviews.
In addition to discussing the well being of kids in the U.S., Kostmayer also talked about the need for the U.S. to take a leadership role in supporting efforts to improve the outlook for children around the world. "Kids and women around the world are dying because we won't fund comprehensive international reproductive health programs," Kostmayer said. He went on to say, "President Bush won't fund the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) which is the largest global source of funding for maternal and child health programs in developing countries and his administration just withdrew funding from Marie Stopes International (MSI) last week because it believed that MSI was working in partnership with UNFPA to support involuntary abortions and sterilizations in China. The Administration has no evidence in either case and seems absolutely intent on spreading its political ideology all over the globe, against the will of Congress and the American people who have shown support for these programs. "
Things are beginning to look up for kids. Countries around the world are taking steps to improve the lives of their most vulnerable citizens. One hundred and ninety-one countries ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child, which compels governments to ensure that children's rights, such as good health and education are fully met. The only countries who have not signed the agreement are the U.S., Somalia and Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor). Kostmayer ended many of his morning interviews by asking the following question: "How can we expect to be taken seriously as a world leader of democracy when we won't sign an international agreement to meet the needs of our kids here at home?"
The review the complete Kid-Friendly Countries Report Card, visit Population Connection's Web site: http://www.popconnect.org.
To schedule an interview with a spokesperson, please contact Tawana Jacobs at 202-745-3179, 202-489-5238 (Cell) or tjacobs@popconnect.org.
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Population Connection is a 35 year-old national nonprofit organization with more than 80,000 members who all believe in the importance of working to achieve a sustainable balance between the Earth's people and its resources.
FMCDH
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