Fiji’s youngest children face highest deprivation, report warns

The younger the child, the worse their chances of escaping poverty in Fiji, new data reveals.

Children under two years old are three times more likely to face severe deprivation than teenagers, according to findings presented at a UNICEF (United Nations International Children Emergency Fund) media session yesterday.

The report shows 63.2 per cent of infants aged 0-23 months lack three or more basic needs, compared to just 14.6 per cent of children aged 14-17 years.

UNICEF Pacific’s Chief of Social Policy Jun Fan said this stark pattern highlights where urgent action is needed most.

“The younger the age group, the higher the deprivations,” Mr Fan said.

“If we can change the beginning, we can change the whole story.”

He explained that investing in very young children delivers much higher returns than investing in older age groups.

“Investment in children under two yields a much higher return than investment in adults,” Mr Fan said. “Children are at a formative age.”

The data, drawn from 8,000 children surveyed nationwide, shows infants suffer most from nutrition deprivation, with 61 per cent lacking proper feeding and nearly half without basic toys for development.

For toddlers aged 24-59 months, child protection emerges as the biggest concern, with close to 60 per cent lacking birth certificates, experiencing violence, or being left unattended.

UNICEF’s Michael Copland stressed the importance of parenting education as families become more mobile and lose traditional support networks.

“Caregivers need adequate information on how to look after children at different ages and stages,” Mr Copland said.

The Government has committed to developing a national action plan to address violence against children and improve early childhood services, though specific timelines have not been announced.

The report calls for prioritised investment in early childhood development programmes to break the cycle of deprivation before it becomes entrenched.

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