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In Mexico, despite the progress on education reforms and the strategy implemented to prevent obesity and diabetes in children, the greatest challenges the country still faces in this sector of the population are chronic malnutrition and lack of access to quality education , according to Deputy Representative of the UNICEF Pressia Arifin-Cabo.
Pursuant to the 28th anniversary of the approval of the Convention of the Rights of the Child adopted by the UN General Assembly , Arifin-Cabo mentioned that in the upcoming fourth months the UNICEF will be performing a study to determine how many of those affected by the earthquakes of September 7 and 19 are children and what is their current situation.
“We're concerned by the great number of children who're still homeless, who lost their schools and don't have access to the health services they deserve. There are many children at risk after the earthquakes, the minors who were almost outside the poverty line and who find themselves below it again because they've lost their home and spaces, as well as their access to education. It's important to make sure the kids at risk because of the quake are being tended to,” said the Deputy Representative.
November 20 is the Universal Children's Day and Arifin-Cabo mentioned that it's necessary to ensure access to health services and education for the children in the most vulnerable populations, as are those part of the indigenous and disabled ones.
“Particularly in Mexico, we know the situation is improving, but there are still many gaps left. We're seeing many children are being left out of school and even though nutrition is improving we still have kids dealing with overweight and obesity in some areas, but chronic malnutrition in isolated places of the country.”
Arifin-Cabo pointed out it's still necessary to strengthen the local systems of children protection because there are situations in which the children's rights are violated. One of the most important progress factors is that, for the first time, Mexico has a general law protecting the rights of children and teenagers, reason why the Mexican Government has the obligation to respond to the needs of this sector and make their needs a priority, both in law enforcement and budget allocation.
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