Listen Now: 
September 24, 2024
Hospital calls evidence for child poverty action
Gideon Porter
Posted On September 24, 2024
Download AudioThe chief Children’s Commissioner, Claire Achmad, says a Cure Kids report on hospitalisations is damning, and the Government needs to do more about child poverty.
The report by University of Otago researchers shows children in the most deprived socioeconomic areas have double the rate of hospitalisations for respiratory conditions and high tooth decay.
There has also been an increase in hospitalisations for young people with serious mental health concerns, and the incidence of psychological distress has risen from 5 percent to almost 25 percent in the past decade.
Dr Achmad says the respiratory conditions, rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, skin infections, dental disease and many mental health conditions are preventable with sufficient funding.
“We know what the solutions are and I redouble my calls for an enduring, committed focus on making any child poverty in our country an ongoing national project of significance,” she says.
Dr Achmad says removing financial barriers to health services will go a long way towards improving children’s health.
RELATED NEWS
