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Mexico: Indigenous children are most affected by food poverty
Mexico is a country considered as having a high Human Development Index (HDI). However, there is considerable inequality in levels of development among states.
Servindi | Servindi | 20/01/2011 at 4:05 am | 231 reads
www.kaosenlared.net / news / mexico-children-Indians-are-more-food-poverty-affected
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The states of Puebla, Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Veracruz have the highest rates of Indigenous infants in food poverty.
According to "The Rights of Children and Adolescents in Mexico, an Agenda for the Present," United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF) in each of these states are estimated to live between 100 thousand and 350 thousand children and Indian-speaking children in this situation.
This figure is alarming when compared to the rates of other states such as Tabasco, Campeche, Queretaro, Guanajuato, Tlaxcala. Colima, Nayarit. Sonora and Coahuila, where the number of indigenous children with food poverty would not exceed 10 000.
Nationally, the poverty rate for food in children 3 to 17 years is 25.3 percent, but in indigenous communities, the figure is 70 percent. This is indicated in this report that was prepared with data obtained in 2008 and was released late last year.
In Mexico, more than ten million -9.8 percent of the total population, are considered indigenous, and are concentrated in municipalities with a high degree of marginalization.
The indigenous population is poorer than the rest of the Mexicans, and that poverty is evident in lower salary levels, lower quality education and, in general, restricted access to public services.
For example, in 2005, an average 87.7 percent of households in the country had piped water, while indigenous households only 70.5 percent this service available.
Similarly, the national average of households with sewage is 86.3 percent, while indigenous households the figure is only 55.6 percent.
Mexico is a country considered as having a high Human Development Index (HDI). However, there is considerable inequality in levels of development among states.
While the Federal District, Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua and Baja California with a development level similar to that of Argentina or the Czech Republic, the Chiapas HDI resembles that of Nicaragua or the Syrian Arab Republic.
Infant mortality
In addition to presenting one of the highest rates of indigenous children in food poverty, the state of Puebla recorded high levels of mortality in children under one year and 5 years.
The mortality rate for infants under one year registered the region covered by Puebla, Campeche, Yucatan, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Guerrero and Veracruz, is 18.7 per thousand live births, while the death rate children under 5 years of 26.1 per thousand.
In contrast, the northwestern region, comprised of Sonora, Sinaloa, Baja California Sur and Baja California Norte, has the death rate under one year lowest in the country, the death rate in these areas is 13.5 per thousand live births.
Also, the northeast, consisting of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua, Durango and Coahuila, records the lowest mortality rate in children under 5 years with a rate of 18.7 per thousand.
According to official figures, the overall infant mortality fell from 15.7 in 2007 to 15.2 in 2008 per thousand live births. Despite the downward trend in infant mortality still represents a serious concern in the most marginalized areas of Mexico.
Health Care
The report notes that in 2002, about 25 percent of children in the country (9.9 million) received no vaccination or did not visit the doctor for a recent illness related to a respiratory infection, diarrhea or both.
And about 40 percent (15.7 million) was not vaccinated after two years of age. It is also known that only half of children receive antibiotic treatment to prevent pneumonia, and this percentage decreases with household size.
Regarding the problems in health, the study shows that there is no comprehensive assessment of the quality of services provided, due in large part to the high segmentation of supply and the absence of a specific national strategy to improve consistency and equity programs.