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Develop a Child

Develop a child, develop a nation. Address the needs of the youngest and most vulnerable members of society, and you take the first and most vital steps to economic and social development. Few people would disagree with these assertions, but what is the record of the Asian and Pacific region? The Asian Development Bank's (ADB) President Tadao Chino has said, "It is vulnerable, especially women and children, who bear the brunt of poverty." If ADB's vision of a region free of poverty is to be realized, today's children need to be healthy, well nourished, and educated. The region has made great strides in health, nutrition, and education, but not evenly. Sadly, for many, today's reality remains grim.

• Six million children under five years of age—more than half of the world's total—die each year in developing Asia. Underweight children account for more than half of these deaths; of the rest, most die from diseases that could be prevented by vaccination. Many who die are underweight at birth owing to the poor health of their mothers; malnutrition and poverty are mutually reinforcing across generations.

• Three quarters of the world’s underweight and stunted children are in Asia; and half the children of South Asia—by far the highest rate in the world—are underweight or stunted.

• Three quarters of those suffering from vitamin A, iodine, and iron deficiencies—mostly young children and their mothers—are in Asia. Tiny amounts of vitamins and minerals are needed by the human body for normal growth and development and good health. Their absence costs lives and causes disabilities, including mental impairment.

• More than 30 million Asian children between the ages of 6 and 11 are not enrolled in school—the majority are girls who will become tomorrow’s illiterate women.

• About 150 million Asian children between the ages of 5 and 14 have to work. Half of them have to work full time.

In sum, the world’s underweight, stunted, and micronutrient-deficient children and mothers are concentrated in Asia. Also, the incidence of enrollment of girls in schools is low, particularly in South Asia.

The consequences of malnutrition are staggering: unsafe fertility, premature death, disability, lifelong susceptibility to illness, poor cognitive and learning skills, low achievement in school, low wages, and weak capacity to invest in the quality of the next generation’s children.

The economic costs of malnutrition are high,¹ but improvements could be made at low cost, with political will and in concerted partnership. Judicious investments can improve the health, nutrition, education, and environment of children. Yet, within the region, shares of national budgets allocated to basic education and children’s health and nutrition are often low. The children of the poor are especially vulnerable and are often denied access to essential health care, adequate nutrition, and basic education.²

Productivity and prosperity depend largely on how effectively the children of the region are prepared for the future. If the region is to sustain economic momentum, it has to ensure that young children survive, grow, and develop to their maximum potential. The child’s ability to be educated and subsequent productivity as an adult can be seriously compromised by poor health and nutrition, and a lack of a safe and caring environment during infancy and early childhood.

ADB’s obligation is clear: promote services for children and break the poverty cycle.

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