Protecting
Rights of Children
India's economy is progressing. Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) is growing fast. We are happy to
celebrate its impressive growth. However, life
is a daily struggle for the children of our country.
The quantity of the country's human assets may
be large but the quality in terms of children's
health and education is questionable.
Come
November, India celebrates Children's Day on November
14 and New Born Week from November 15-21. Let
us remind ourselves that we need to focus on how
many children are excluded from the classroom
and employed in household chorus as labourer,
how many are living in areas affected by armed
conflict and how many girls get the same meal
as their male siblings?
Reaching
the Millennium Development Goals will improve
the lives and prospects of children. Millions
of children will be spared illness, premature
death, extreme poverty and malnutrition. Schooling,
access to safe water and decent sanitation will
become a reality. Government must be more realistic
while planning budgets, drafting bills on policies,
programmes and research for children.
TNAI
endorses UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child
(1979) and feels that nurses have an important
role to play in activities related to the various
aspects of protecting and promoting the principles
set forth in the Declaration in collaboration
with Government, voluntary organizations and agencies
working for the welfare of children. TNAI joins
in celebrating the National Neonatal Week with
the emphasis on "Comprehensive Newborn Care".
Childhood
is a time to grow, learn, play and feel safe and
we can help in providing children a better place
to live in.
Sheila Seda
INSIDE:
© 2002, Trained Nurses' Association of India (TNAI), All
Rights Reserved.