Children in rich countries
Rich countries are also facing the wrath of poverty, economic development as well as welfare spending. Although the issue has been deemed secondary it might explode once the problem of economy has been addressed. Denmark and Finland are two countries with high children poverty index standing at less than 3.0% while Mexico and the United States is the bottom with rates more than 20.0% (www.unicef-idc.org). Statistics show that the number of children living in poverty is continuously increasing. It is only Norway that child poverty is ‘low’ and continues to decline. About 3 billion people live under 2 dollars per day. It is apparent that the gap between the rich and the poor is increasing. With regards to literacy close to a billion entered 21st centaury unable to read (UNICEF, 2000).
Additionally slightly above 50.0% of the wealthiest bodies are corporations. Poorer countries repay loans which are directly extracted from individuals who did not in anyway receive the loans. Majority of people in developed countries enjoy 86.0% of worlds goods, expanding export trade (82.0%) and foreign direct investment (68.0%) while those in poor countries barely enjoy 1.0% of all these. There has been an increase in the number of times an individual in richest country earns compared to those in poorer ones, it rose from 30 times back in 1960 to 74 times in 1997 (Harrington & Carroll, 2007). To show that the poverty gap has increased, the total income of 582 million people living in the 43 least developed countries is $ 146 billion while the income for the top 200 richest individuals stood at $ 1 trillion back in 1999. The export from the poorest countries accounts only for 0.4% of global export (Cottrell, 2010).
In terms of health about 790 million individuals in third world countries are chronically undernourished. Research shows that the U.S has close to 14 million individuals who officially live in poverty 19.0% are being children. At present 2.5 million more children are living in poverty compared to 2000 as per U.S poverty line of $ 22,050 for a family of 4. However, a study by Economic Policy Institute shows that families need at least $48,778 to meet basic needs. Taking into account the families struggling to meet basic needs the number of poor children clocks 29 million (Cottrell, 2010).
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
UNICEF was created in 1946 and established a year later. According to UNICEF, 2000 it has been in existence in the last 70 years being the oldest national committees. It provides food, clothing, healthcare to the poor in the society especially children. It operates in over 190 countries among them 8 in Africa, 7 in Asia, 4 in Eastern Europe, 5 in Latin America to mention but a few.
The organization offers services to children across the globe without discrimination. UNICEF purpose is to help people overcome poverty, violence, diseases as well as discrimination. Among its objectives are advancing courses of humanity, fighting for the rights of children, educate people about immunization as well as meals that enhance nourishment. Additionally, it engages in offering education resources to those affected by HIV and AIDS. The organization is well known in promoting hope, peace security and unity aimed at improving lives of young individuals (UNICEF, 2000). This is attained by partnering with other organizations as well as good will ambassadors such as musicians among others. The latest ambassador in Africa is Oliver Mtukutdzi from Zimbabwe.
Lack of healthcare for children and proposed solutions
Despite the fact that children are our future, I was astonished while carrying out my research on children health care. America had close to 8 million children uninsured and 2,000 children are born daily without such a medical cover. For instance, in Michigan, 5.9% children are not insured. This translates to about 250,000. Looking at the Medicaid in the same State, there are slightly over a million and only 72,000 SCHIP program (Uninsured Children, 2011). In my view, I believe that all children should be offered medical cover from the day they are born till they are 18 years. Additionally, having a program that will provide young adults with health care cover will be a plus. The research gave me insight about the astonishing number of children who lack insurance.
It is my thought that the U.S is among the industrialized countries having lowest key indicators of quality child health as well as coverage. Among these indicators are pre-natal and infant health care, low birth weight rates, infant mortality as well as child immunizations. The large number of children not insured leaves me confused when we claim that they are our future. It is sad that we are in a developed nation and over 8 million of our children and not medically cared for.
Proposed solution
To address this serious problem and to ensure that our future is secured then there is need to take necessary steps. Among them include high-risk pools which involve offering medical services and cover to all those not covered and frequently suffer from chronic illnesses. It is worth to note that about 34 States have such an initiative, the funds allocated are not enough and federal subsidies could come in handy. Supporting individual tax credit where employees not having health care covers from their employers are helped to afford coverage. Similarly, Health Saving Accounts (HSA) has been shown to attract majority of Americans who are not insured. There is need to do away with stumbling blocks that make HSA plan to be sold difficult. Additionally there is need to offer tax deduction for being a contributor to such an account.
On the same note allowing the private market to actively take part in the States Children Health Insurance Plan as well as Medicaid will help solve the problem. This is attained by subsidizing premiums from employees as well as their dependent hence making it affordable. Subsequently, list billing as a strategy will allow employers not contributing to employees’ premium to help their workers purchase individual health insurance. This is where a deal is signed in which the employees allow his salary to be deducted to pay for the premium. Similarly limited-benefit plans in which individuals who are uninsured and are young and healthy are allowed to get coverage if coverage are affordable (Cottrell, 2010).
It has been shown that wellness programs will enhance a healthier nation hence having lower medical costs. Leveling the playing field for individual buyers need to be offered same pretax treatment of premium payment. Other solution I deemed might help include offering short-term medical insurance, employer and individual subsidies, out-of-state insurance, mandate-lite policies and medical waivers (Harrington & Carroll, 2007).
Conclusion
Indeed children are our future; however the rate at which they are exposed to poverty is alarming. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening as well as the lower rates of illiteracy. UNICEF mandated to ensure that the lives of poor are enhanced has worked hard in meeting its objectives. In rich nations such as America, the number of uninsured children is astonishing. The major solutions to address this problem include providing short-term medical insurance, employer and individual subsidies, out-of-state insurance, mandate-lite policies, medical waivers among others.
References
Cottrell, K. (2010). “The Shocking Statistics on Child Poverty”. Web.
Harrington, C. & Carroll L.(2007). Health Policy Crisis and Reform in the US Health Care Delivery System. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning
UNICEF, (2000). “A League Table of Child Poverty in Rich Nation Innocenti Report Card Issue No.1. Web.
Uninsured Children, (2011). “Children Defense Fund” Web.