The largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years has been recorded in official data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
According to WHO, 18 million children did not receive a single vaccine in 2021, which is the largest decline in 29 years, due to Covid-related disruptions, emergencies and misinformation. Around 25 million children around the world missed out on routine vaccinations in 2021, which is two million more than those who missed out in 2020 and six million more than in 2019, highlighting the growing number of children at risk from devastating but preventable diseases. The percentage of children who received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3) – a marker for immunisation coverage within and across countries – fell 5 percentage points between 2019 and 2021 to 81 per cent.
The decline was due to many factors including an increased number of children living in conflict and fragile settings, increased misinformation and Covid-related issues such as service and supply chain disruptions.
However, Pakistan returned to pre-pandemic levels of vaccination coverage due to high-level government commitment and significant catch-up immunisation efforts. WHO and UNICEF applauded Pakistan’s efforts to achieve this in the midst of a pandemic, when healthcare systems and health workers were under significant strain.
1⃣8⃣ million children did not receive a single vaccine in 2021 – the largest ↘️ in 29 years, due to:
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) July 14, 2022
“This is a red alert for child health. We are witnessing the largest sustained drop in childhood immunisation in a generation. The consequences will be measured in lives,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director.
“While a pandemic hangover was expected last year as a result of Covid-19 disruptions and lockdowns, what we are seeing now is a continued decline. Covid-19 is not an excuse. We need immunisation catch-ups for the missing millions or we will inevitably witness more outbreaks, more sick children and greater pressure on already strained health systems,” added Russell.
On Tuesday, May 24, an 18-year-old gunman, Salvador Ramos, who killed at least 19 children and two adults in a school shooting at Robb Elementary School, in Uvalde, a small city west of San Antionio. The school had second through fourth grade kids attending and apart from those killed, several were injured.
Only ten days ago, 10 people were brutally killed by another gunman in an aggressive racist attack, inside a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.
Addressing the American nation on the night of Tuesday, President Biden called for action and severely lamented that the attack had taken place, but did not clarify his policy decision or vote. “Where in the God’s name is our backbone, the courage to do more and then stand up to the lobbies? It’s time to turn this pain into action,” says President Biden
Some images of students and teachers who were killed in the shooting at Robb Elementary School – [Top L to R]: Xavier Lopez (10 y/o), Nevaeh Bravo (4th grade), Tess Mata (4th grade). [Bottom L to R]: Makenna Lee Elrod (10 y/o), Amerie Garza (10 y/o), Eva Mireles (17 years of teaching)
Eva Mireles, a fourth grade teacher who had been teaching at the school for almost 17 years now. She had one daughter and was married to a law enforcement officer in Uvalde. Her daughter was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and she was trying harder every day to provide a better future for her. Parents of her students tweeted in her memory.
My daughter’s beautiful teacher was the teacher who was killed in Uvalde, TX. Eva (Ms Mireles) taught Gabby in elementary school. She was a beautiful person & dedicated teacher. She believed in Gabby & went above & beyond to teach her as you can see below. There are no words. pic.twitter.com/qMlVoVEUrY
10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza, who was in fourth grade was also shot this Tuesday, and had celebrated her birthday only two weeks ago before the shooting. It is reported that she was attempting to call 911 for help. Finding out about her death, her father said, “My little love is now flying high with the angels above. Please don’t take a second for granted. Hug your family. Tell them you love them. I love you Amerie jo. Watch over your baby brother for me.”
Amerie jo Garza, 10
Her father, Angel Garza, told @ABC News Amerie just turned 10 two weeks ago on May 10. U.S. Marshals told him Tuesday night his daughter was killed.
“My little love is now flying high with the angels above. Please don’t take a second for granted.” -Angel pic.twitter.com/fEq4jEtjvQ
10-year-old Makenna Elrod’s father Brandon Elrod spoke to ABC News on Tuesday afternoon, and said that he was searching for his 10-year-old daughter but he feared that she might not be alive. Unable to find her initially, he headed towards the funeral home.
Yesterday, 10-year-old Makenna Elrod was murdered in her fourth grade classroom at #RobbElementary. Those who knew Makenna said she was the sweetest little girl they had ever met. Say her name. Share her story. Honor her and her loved ones with action. #Uvalde#EndGunViolencepic.twitter.com/qgHA7RWADe
— y – Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut (@jschildkraut80) May 25, 2022
Parents of the children who were shot have given several statements to the national media expressing disbelief and denial in having lost their children in this manner. Although the gunman also died on the spot, the family members of these children were left extremely traumatized.
The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has allowed 50 per cent crowd for Lahore leg of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after a session chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar was held. The forum discussed the pandemic data, national vaccination progress, inbound health protocols and second leg of the ongoing PSL.
As per NCOC, “PCB has been allowed to conduct PSL Lahore matches with 50% stadium capacity for fully vaccinated spectators till February 15, 2022, however, from February 16 onwards 100 % stadium capacity for fully vaccinated spectators will be allowed. Children under 12 years of age (un-vaccinated) will also be allowed.”
“RAT test for Inbound Passengers on arrival at Pakistani airports has been abolished with effect from February 8, however, RAT test will continue to be conducted for deportees from foreign countries and for non-vaccinated individuals arriving from land border terminals,” added NCOC in its statement.
Days before the start of the PSL’s seventh edition, the NCOC had reduced the crowd capacity to 25 per cent in light of rising coronavirus cases. But now, as the positivity rate lowers, the forum has revised its decision.
The Lahore leg matches will be staged completely under the lights of the Gaddafi Stadium. The matches will kickstart on February 10, with the unbeaten Multan Sultans facing off against Peshawar Zalmi.
National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has decided to vaccinate 12-year-old children. The decision was taken in a meeting on Tuesday (today).
Federal Minister for Planning and Development, Asad Umar, took to Twitter to announce the news.
“In today’s NCOC meeting decided to start vaccination of all 12 years and older. Special drive will be run for vaccination at schools to make it easier for children to be vaccinated,” the minister wrote in a tweet.
In today’s NCOC meeting decided to start vaccination of all 12 years and older. Special drive will be run for vaccination at schools to make it easier for children to be vaccinated
Pakistan has reported 1,400 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally to 1,241,825 cases. The country has reported 27,638 deaths so far.
While Israel continues to bomb Gaza and kill childern, this bloodbath has been the reality of Palestinians under apartheid.
Palestine Information Network *AQSA UPDATE*
After Taraweeh last night and into the wee hours of this morning, Masjid al-Aqsa was transformed into exactly the same theatre for Israeli attacks as yesterday morning. pic.twitter.com/yv455UeQvI
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned escalating Israeli aggression and attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque. The meeting of the OIC Permanent Representatives was convened upon the request of the State of Palestine. During the meeting, Pakistan’s permanent representative at the UN also strongly condemned the Israeli aggression.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday strongly condemned the attack on innocent Palestinians by the Israeli forces during the month of Ramzan.
Strongly condemn Israeli Forces’ attack esp during Ramazan on Palestinians in Qibla-e-Awaal, Al-Aqsa Mosque, violating all norms of humanity & int law. We reiterate support for Palestinian ppl. Int community must take immed action to protect Palestinians & their legitimate rights
The report says: International criminal law has developed two crimes against humanity for situations of systematic discrimination and repression: apartheid and persecution. Crimes against humanity stand among the most odious crimes in international law.
Tensions in Jerusalem have flared since Israeli riot police attacked Palestinian worshippers on the last Friday of Ramazan in the city’s worst disturbances since 2017.
Nightly unrest since then at the Al-Aqsa compound has left hundreds of Palestinians wounded, drawing international calls for de-escalation and sharp rebukes from across the Muslim world. Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site of Islam.
Ahsan Khan is demanding justice for three-year-old Hareem Fatima, who was brutally murdered after being sexually assaulted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)’s Kohat district. According to reports, Fatima’s father lodged a complaint with the police stating that Hareem went out to play with other children but unfortunately did not return.
“Another Twitter trend, another baby girl, another rape, another family destroyed. Another story,” said Ahsan. “Would be remembered for few days and forgotten.”
“We always talk about upbringing and protection of our daughters, maybe it’s time for us to stress on raising our sons right,” said the actor further, stressing on the importance of educating children.
“The Kohat incident is a reflection of our failure as a society,” he added.
Despite the introduction of an Anti-Rape Ordinance by the government, rape cases continue to rise in the country. The Current is maintaining a daily tally of cases and the numbers are alarming.
According to areport published by a child protection NGO Sahil, at least 173 children were gang-raped in Pakistan in the first six months of 2020, whereas there were 227 reports of attempted sexual assault.
As part of the initiative launched by UNICEF Pakistan and the Human Rights Ministry of Pakistan, 30 monuments across the country turned blue to commemorate World Children’s Day on November 20, 2020.
Monuments in six cities including Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Ziarat, Karachi and Lahore were illuminated with blue lights. Minar-e-Pakistan, the Ministry of Human Rights, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Saudi-Pak Tower in Islamabad were among the buildings that turned blue.
Minar-e-Pakistan, LahoreDelhi Gate, LahoreQuaid-e-Azam House, KarachiZiaratQuaid-e-Azam Library, LahoreKarachi PortNational AssemblyPrime Minister office, Islamabad Islamia College, PeshawarKhyber Pakhtunkhwa AssemblyKhyber Pass, PeshawarPakistan Telecommunication Authority, Islamabad Punjab Assembly, Lahore. Saudi Pak Tower, Islamabad
Another view of Do Talwar (The Two Swords) Monument going blue in Karachi for #WorldChildrensDay 2020.
It went blue shortly after Teen Talwar (see thread)
This the third year in a row that buildings across the country and globe were lit up to call for a world in which the vision of the CRC of the Child becomes a reality. World Children’s Day marks the adoption of the Convention on Nov 20, 1989. Pakistan ratified the convention the following year.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan, while commemorating Children’s Day said: “Children are the most precious resource of any nation and the sole guarantee for its future.”
The federal cabinet has approved a bill against the employment of children as domestic help across the country, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari has said.
According to details, the minister during her speech in the Senate on Friday said it will be applied once further work on the bill is finalised.
“Violence and mistreatment of children start from these households,” Mazari said, mentioning that the new bill is government’s effort to end the violence against children.
According to the new clause, any child under the age of 14 years can not be hired as domestic help. If anyone violates the law, strict action will be taken against them.
The move came after several child abuse cases were reported from across the country. A campaign was also started on social media against the domestic employment of children. The government had also faced criticism for its lack of laws on the issue.
Dr Mazari had been trying to include domestic labour by children as an unsafe line of work under this act.
Today, the federal govt took another step forward on HR as Cabinet approved MOHR’s summary to Amend 1991 Child Employment Act by inserting Child Domestic Labour in Part I of the Schedule at serial no.7.
The year is 2020. We have rules. We have laws. Yet we have children who live in cages — who are enslaved. The news of a minor domestic worker’s death after being beaten and tortured by her employers for letting “expensive pet parrots escape from their cage” sent chills down everyone’s spine. It also made one’s blood boil over the callousness of the employers who had employed an eight-year-old girl at their house to ‘take care’ of their infant. And then they killed her over a small mistake. Is the cost of a poor minor ‘housemaid’ worth nothing compared to pet parrots no matter how ‘expensive’ they may be?
Zohra Shah’s employers – who were arrested soon afterwards – did not just kill the child but also recorded the girl being tortured on cell phones recovered by the authorities. One video reportedly shows the minor girl locked up in a large birdcage as a form of punishment. Did the couple think locking up a child in a cage was okay at some level? Are we human beings or barbarians?
It shows another side of our society as well: we all know someone who has employed minors at their homes. We usually turn a blind eye to this ‘slavery’ because they are not our own children. They are children of the poor – people who have no choice but to let their children work for strangers just so they can make ends meet. Even if we don’t condone such practices, we don’t condemn them either – at least not vocally. We outrage at the latest incident of a minor domestic worker but soon we will forget her name. Until the next incident. And the cycle continues.
Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari says that domestic child labour should be declared hazardous under the Employment of Children Act 1991, as this is “the quickest way to protect children in the absence of a proper law to protect domestic labour”. This is a short-term solution. We need proper child labour reforms. Declaring domestic child labour ‘hazardous occupation’ may help to some extent but when the law already says that children under 14 years of age cannot be employed and we see children younger than that working around us, how will it benefit the children? How will it ensure that children are not losing their childhood because the state failed to ensure their rights?
Pakistan is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child but children from lower-income groups have no rights whatsoever it seems. The impunity with which Zohra Shah was tortured and subsequently killed by her employers shows that the rich and powerful think they can get away with anything, even if it’s taking away someone’s life. How will we ensure justice for an eight-year-old girl who was born to a family so poor that they did not have the money for an ambulance that could take the body back to their village and to arrange a funeral?
‘Justice for Zohra’ does not mean punishing the couple who beat her to a pulp, subsequently leading to her death, but it means that we make sure there are no more Zohras in Pakistan. That we make sure an end to the practice of minors being employed in private households, that we ensure children get their basic right to education and do not lose their childhoods enslaved in cages, both literally and metaphorically.
It’s been a month or so of this new reality. Social distancing and self-isolation has turned all our schedules upside down. And for parents of young kids, that means a whole lot of chaos and moods. However, there is a lot we can do to make sure our kids get a wholesome life experience even during this very surreal way of life.
In this article I will go through the essentials that I include in a typical week to make my kids enjoy and learn from our days of social distancing.
Follow a routine
Children behave best when they know what to expect. The predictability of a routine or a set timetable gives them comfort and causes less anxiety. Hence try to start the day the same way and end it with a solid bedtime routine. Encourage kids to follow a timetable. For example, keep more educational activities in the first half when their minds are fresh, and more physical activities in the second half when you need to tire them out for bed! Repetition of this basic schedule helps children understand what is required and reduces tantrums considerably.
Since all of us are staying indoors and our activity levels have decreased quite a bit, avoiding junk and maintaining a healthy diet is essential. The healthier we eat, the more active and fresh we can be the whole day. Try your best to make majority food at home and keep all basic food groups covered throughout the day ranging from carbohydrates, meats, dairy, fats and starch to fruits and vegetables.
Screen time
Let’s admit screen time for kids translates to some me time for us adults, which is essential for our mental health. It is unrealistic to expect parents to engage with kids all the time without social lives or play dates. So revise your old rules and take each day at a time.
Fun time
It’s natural for children to want to jump around and create a mess whether that’s through arts and crafts or just free play. In these trying times don’t expect them to be robots. Let them create and imagine. In Pakistan, most houses have a garden so let them explore. And if you don’t have the great outdoors, create a space within the house which is safe for mess and fun.
Exercise
I recommend some kind of physical exercise at home for all kids. It is the best way to get their bodies energised and fit. It also helps them get a good night’s sleep. YouTube channels are a great resource for this. Whether its cardio through dance, or yoga, be sure to spend at least 30 minutes exercising.
Even though in theory us parents are with our kids day and night these days, are we really spending quality time with them all day? The answer is no and it’s normal. To think that every hour of the day will be filled with family bonding is unreasonable. In actuality, working parents are juggling between work, homeschooling, and daily chores. And stay at home parents are doing a lot of different tasks too. So take 30 minutes to an hour away from chores, work, and your mobile phones and give quality time to your kids. Whether that’s through board games or reading books together – the point is to give your children your undivided attention and make memories.
Outdoor time
Fresh air is a blessing now more than ever. Spending at least 15 to 30 minutes outdoors is known to increase happy hormones and relax anxious children and adults. So if you have a garden or any outdoor private safe space, use it! Go out for evening chai and snacks. And if you don’t, try to open your windows and sit by them for a little while to watch the blue skies. It will help your children feel better and appreciate a change in scenery.
Staying connected to God
One of the major advantages of being a Muslim is that we are reminded if the presence of a higher power at least 5 times a day. Use this opportunity to b teach your kids about Islam. Pray together if you can. Hope and faith are things that create positivity in all of us, so keep it alive as much as you can.
Staying connected to friends and family
Thanks to technology today, we can stay in touch with family and friends all over the world. Try to connect with your favourite people at least twice a week. This helps maintain relationships and helps children remember their old bonds. It creates a sense of sanity and reminds us that we are not in this alone.
Helping hands
The workload around the house has definitely increased for all of us since everyone is home all day and some of our temporary domestic help can also not come in. This means more food needs to be cooked, more laundry piles up, and in short more mess. In my opinion, these are all signs of life and laughter. So a family that uses and abuses the house together, should also clean and cook together. Encourage kids to help in all types of chores. This serves as an activity and helps pass the day in a productive way.
Boredom
Lastly, despite all of the above, there may be things you can’t manage. Some days may not have all the engagement mentioned and kids may say they are bored. To this I always say…it’s okay. Let them get bored. Boredom is actually good! It encourages them to think for themselves and sharpens their minds in more ways than giving them a well thought out activity.
