Angola recently marked the 35th anniversary of its ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) with the presentation of alarming data on the state of childhood in the country. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), one in three children under the age of one has never received any vaccine, while two in three children under five remain without birth registration — a condition that limits access to basic services and jeopardises their future.
The information was presented by Cristina Brugiolo, UNICEF’s interim representative, during a national conference organised in partnership with the National Child Institute (INAC) in Luanda. The UN agency highlights that severe inequalities persist in access to health and social protection.
So-called “zero-dose children”, those who have not received any vaccine, represent 33% of the national total — a critical figure in a country that faces recurring outbreaks of preventable diseases. Another concerning indicator is birth registration, an essential document for social inclusion.
“Two-thirds of children under five do not have a birth certificate. Without identity, they become invisible to the State and vulnerable to various forms of exclusion,” said Cristina Brugiolo. Angola ratified the CRC on 5 December 1990, becoming one of the first countries to formally commit to full child protection. Today, 196 countries have joined the treaty, making it the most widely ratified in the world.
According to UNICEF, Angola has shown “growing political will” to strengthen child protection mechanisms, in a year marked by the 50th anniversary of Independence and greater participation in African Union bodies. “There is clear progress: child mortality has decreased, more children attend school, and there are more services and legal frameworks for protection,” Brugiolo stressed.
However, she warned that “the journey is not over”, calling for greater investment to reach the most vulnerable children. The educational data presented are equally concerning: only 40% of 4th-grade pupils are able to understand a simple text, and just 22% can solve basic mathematical operations.
For UNICEF, this situation demands deep reforms in the quality of education and teacher training. The global report State of the World’s Children 2025, recently presented at the G20 Social Summit, also highlights child poverty as one of the main obstacles to children’s full development.
Source: AngoNotícias
