KARACHI – At least 70,000 children are living on streets nationwide. This was stated by speakers during a walk on the eve of International Health Day under the banner of ‘Every Child Have a Right to Good Health which was organised by SPARC and PAVHNA, near Muchi Mor Korangi on Tuesday.

The speakers urged the government to create awareness on HIV and Aids and other related diseases to save street children while the walk was also attended by street children, child activists, students and teachers.

Promotion /School Project officer Nazra Jahan said that unfortunately there are some 70″000 children living on streets nationwide.

An estimated figure of 7000 children live on street in Lahore, 10’000 in Faisalabad, 25oo in Quetta, 3000 in Rawalpindi, 5000 in Peshawar and more than 25″000 in Karachi, she informed.

Street children are one of the most vulnerable groups for all forms of exploitation; she says adding that they are at high risk of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.
The use of drugs and solvent abuse result in brain damage, she says.

Living in dirty and unhygienic environment also exposes these children to skin ailment, bacterial and parasitic infections and malnourishment, she says and added, living in extreme weather condition also takes a toll on their health.

As a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the child (CRC) the State has a fundamental duty to protect children from being on the streets, she said.

Children from SPARC Child Rights Club AI-Jouhar Grammar school Malir and rag pickers children stressed the government, it is need that government should take necessary measures to create environment to protect them.

Coordinator PAVHNA’s Kirny Project Ms. Munizha said that Kirny is addressing the vulnerabilities of street children in the targeted areas. PAVHN has set-up five drop-in centres in Karachi, through which it provides information on better life skills to the street children, she maintains.
Source: The Nation
Date:4/9/2008