Latest news with #MichelleSharp
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
New Global Data: New Zealand Ranks Alarmingly Low For Child Wellbeing, Mental Health
Press Release – UNICEF Aotearoa NZ UNICEF Aotearoa CEO Michelle Sharp says the data should be a wake-up call and the upcoming Budget is an opportunity for the government to create positive change. New Zealand has ranked fourth lowest out of 36 OECD and EU countries for child wellbeing in a new report just released by UNICEF. For mental wellbeing, New Zealand was the lowest ranking country, in 36th place out of 36 countries with available data. New Zealand showed the single highest youth suicide rate in the analysed countries during the reporting period – almost three times higher than the average for high-income countries. The report cites suicide as the fourth most common cause of death globally among adolescents aged 15-19 years. The latest in a UNICEF Innocenti research series spanning 25 years, Report Card 19: Fragile Gains – Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World uses globally comparable datasets to provide critical insight into child wellbeing in the world's wealthier countries between 2018-2022. While it is encouraging that recent domestic statistics on suspected suicide indicate that rates may be slightly decreasing, New Zealand is still a notable outlier compared to other countries and our rates are much too high. The report also shows where Aotearoa is falling behind on other key issues facing children – including physical wellbeing, where New Zealand has the third highest percentage of overweight children, and bullying, where the percentage of bullied children is the second highest. UNICEF Aotearoa CEO Michelle Sharp says the data should be a wake-up call and the upcoming Budget is an opportunity for the government to create positive change. 'Too many children in Aotearoa are missing out on their childhood. We're calling on the government to direct funding towards addressing these problems and to shift the dial, so New Zealand is not ranked so alarmingly close to the bottom of the table when it comes to child wellbeing. The government can act now, and act quickly to make positive impacts if it chooses to,' she says. UNICEF Aotearoa is deeply concerned about what the report tells us on children and young people's wellbeing in our country, and the trajectory this continues to take since 2022. Recent data captured in the Government's own Annual Report on the Child and Youth Strategy, as well as the most recent child poverty data from Statistics NZ, indicates that on major themes relating to poverty and mental wellbeing, the data has not improved in the last two years. Food security, affordable housing, hospital admissions and material hardship all continue to show negative trends. Faced with this stark data, UNICEF Aotearoa is calling on the government to address economic inequality and to prioritise funding for suicide prevention in the upcoming Budget, particularly for Māori and Pacific youth, who are disproportionately represented in negative statistics. UNICEF Aotearoa Director of Advocacy and Programmes Teresa Tepania-Ashton says there are several measures that could be implemented quickly. 'Immediately expanding eligibility for the Best Start payment to all children up to the age of five and laying out a roadmap for expanding eligibility up to the age of 18 would help tackle economic inequality and make a positive difference to many whānau in Aotearoa who are doing it really tough at the moment,' she says. 'We also support calls for the government to address food insecurity by fully funding an expanded Ka Ora Ka Ako healthy school lunches programme, ensuring that all children across every school and early childhood centre have access to nutritious meals, thereby tackling food insecurity quickly'. Sharp says child wellbeing in New Zealand is a political choice. 'The quality of life being experienced by the tamariki and rangatahi in this country is down to political choice, and we urge our decision-makers to make the right choices and directly invest in children in the imminent Budget and beyond'.
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
New Global Data: New Zealand Ranks Alarmingly Low For Child Wellbeing, Mental Health
New Zealand has ranked fourth lowest out of 36 OECD and EU countries for child wellbeing in a new report just released by UNICEF. For mental wellbeing, New Zealand was the lowest ranking country, in 36th place out of 36 countries with available data. New Zealand showed the single highest youth suicide rate in the analysed countries during the reporting period – almost three times higher than the average for high-income countries. The report cites suicide as the fourth most common cause of death globally among adolescents aged 15-19 years. The latest in a UNICEF Innocenti research series spanning 25 years, Report Card 19: Fragile Gains – Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World uses globally comparable datasets to provide critical insight into child wellbeing in the world's wealthier countries between 2018-2022. While it is encouraging that recent domestic statistics on suspected suicide indicate that rates may be slightly decreasing, New Zealand is still a notable outlier compared to other countries and our rates are much too high. The report also shows where Aotearoa is falling behind on other key issues facing children – including physical wellbeing, where New Zealand has the third highest percentage of overweight children, and bullying, where the percentage of bullied children is the second highest. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading UNICEF Aotearoa CEO Michelle Sharp says the data should be a wake-up call and the upcoming Budget is an opportunity for the government to create positive change. 'Too many children in Aotearoa are missing out on their childhood. We're calling on the government to direct funding towards addressing these problems and to shift the dial, so New Zealand is not ranked so alarmingly close to the bottom of the table when it comes to child wellbeing. The government can act now, and act quickly to make positive impacts if it chooses to,' she says. UNICEF Aotearoa is deeply concerned about what the report tells us on children and young people's wellbeing in our country, and the trajectory this continues to take since 2022. Recent data captured in the Government's own Annual Report on the Child and Youth Strategy, as well as the most recent child poverty data from Statistics NZ, indicates that on major themes relating to poverty and mental wellbeing, the data has not improved in the last two years. Food security, affordable housing, hospital admissions and material hardship all continue to show negative trends. Faced with this stark data, UNICEF Aotearoa is calling on the government to address economic inequality and to prioritise funding for suicide prevention in the upcoming Budget, particularly for Māori and Pacific youth, who are disproportionately represented in negative statistics. UNICEF Aotearoa Director of Advocacy and Programmes Teresa Tepania-Ashton says there are several measures that could be implemented quickly. 'Immediately expanding eligibility for the Best Start payment to all children up to the age of five and laying out a roadmap for expanding eligibility up to the age of 18 would help tackle economic inequality and make a positive difference to many whānau in Aotearoa who are doing it really tough at the moment,' she says. 'We also support calls for the government to address food insecurity by fully funding an expanded Ka Ora Ka Ako healthy school lunches programme, ensuring that all children across every school and early childhood centre have access to nutritious meals, thereby tackling food insecurity quickly'. Sharp says child wellbeing in New Zealand is a political choice. 'The quality of life being experienced by the tamariki and rangatahi in this country is down to political choice, and we urge our decision-makers to make the right choices and directly invest in children in the imminent Budget and beyond'.
Scoop
28-04-2025
- Health
- Scoop
UNICEF To Launch Groundbreaking Project To 3D Print Prosthetics For War-injured Gaza Children
A groundbreaking project to 3D print prosthetic limbs for war-injured children in Gaza will be launched by UNICEF, thanks to funding from a New Zealand organisation. Gaza currently has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world. Over 23,000 children have sustained conflict-related injuries, and many thousands are facing disabilities and needing long-term rehabilitation. Funding of more than quarter of a million dollars from a new collaboration between UNICEF Aotearoa and the Federated Islamic Association of New Zealand ( FIANZ) has allowed a pilot to launch with the planning of a production facility in Jordan to 'print' desperately needed prosthetics. 3D printed prosthetics cost around a sixth of the price of traditional prosthetics and can be made efficiently based on digital measurements taken using a smart phone. This helps solve the common issues of seriously injured children facing long and treacherous journeys to clinics to be assessed. They also allow for the fact that as children grow, they need new and updated components every six months. The project is intended to vastly improve efficiency and outcomes for children. UNICEF is working with leading global prosthetics manufacturers, alongside hospital and physiotherapist teams in the region who will collaborate on the wrap-around services each affected child may need. Partnerships with existing hospitals and facilities will help UNICEF ensure children in Gaza are still reached despite incredibly difficult conditions at the border and the breaking of the previous ceasefire. FIANZ president Ibrar Shaikh said the organisation has a focus on improving the lives of children, who are often the most affected by conflict. "This project directly addresses the physical and emotional well-being of children, alongside providing a tangible way to restore hope and dignity," he said. "The collaboration between a local organisation like FIANZ and a global entity like UNICEF demonstrates how even smaller organisations can contribute meaningfully to groundbreaking humanitarian efforts. This work serves as an inspiration for other organisations to strive beyond their perceived limitations, reinforcing the collective potential to create a more compassionate and just world". UNICEF Aotearoa CEO Michelle Sharp said the funding collaboration was a leading example of the tangible change and impact that can be made for children. "When organisations with a passion to help others, such as FIANZ, join with us - we can make incredible things happen to improve the lives of children who are enduring some of the toughest conditions imaginable," she said. "This funding has meant a groundbreaking project has been able to launch which will go on to become a blueprint for the future as we aim to reach as many children in need as possible. We are honoured to build this relationship with FIANZ and look forward to seeing the outcomes we can achieve together". UNICEF Aotearoa is running a Children of Gaza Crisis Appeal here:
