A Wish List for the World’s Children : UNICEF report shows a lot of progress--as well as too many reasons for worry

Childhood should be carefree, a time of joy and innocence. But for millions of youngsters around the world, it is a time of malnutrition, poverty, illiteracy and sickness. A fifth of the world’s families live in absolute poverty, according to the U.N. Children’s Fund “State of the World” report. Even in the comparatively affluent United States, 20% of all children live below the poverty line. Through no fault of their own, these youngsters suffer.

Despite the existence of a vaccine, measles kills millions of children every year--more, according to the report, than are claimed by war and famine. The threat, though worst in impoverished nations, is not unknown in the United States.

The news is not all bad, however. UNICEF reports much progress in improving the health of children by eradicating other common diseases. Thanks to the generosity of the industrialized nations, fewer children now die from measles, diarrhea, whooping cough, tetanus and other common childhood killers. Deaths from these diseases have declined to about 1 million children annually from more than twice that number in 1980. But almost no one need die from these diseases, given current medical knowledge.

UNICEF statistics also note a drop in new cases of paralysis caused by polio, from an estimated half-million a year in 1980 to 140,000 last year. The decline is attributed to an increase in immunization. If the polio vaccine were universally available, no child would suffer from polio.

Given the resources of the world, no child need suffer from malnutrition, either. More money is naturally part of the U.N. prescription. Family planning, to focus parents’ limited resources on fewer children, is a high priority. Improving the environment is also important, according to UNICEF, because poor families often live in areas with unsanitary water and other unsafe living conditions.

Also on UNICEF’s wish list: a robust economy worldwide, increased democracy and an international commitment to improve the lot of the world’s poorest children.