NPC, NSO releases 2023 multi-dimensional child poverty report

Zomba, June 26, Mana: National Planning Commission (NPC) in collaboration with the National Statistical Office (NSO) on Tuesday launched the 2023 Multi-dimensional Child Poverty Report with a call for the prioritization of children welfare.

Speaking in Zomba during the dissemination of the report, Head of Research at NPC, Dr. Andrew Jamali, pointed out the critical need to prioritize children in development of the country to achieve the Malawi 2063 Vision.

Jamali said findings of the report, for instance, revealed significant challenges faced by children, emphasizing the need to urgently address such shortfalls.

“According to the survey children are faced with various socio-economic deprivations, lacking essential needs due to factors such as inadequate sanitation, housing and education,” Jamali said.

He added that the Malawi 2063 Vision is youth-centric with a primary focus on the children who will shape the future over the next 40 years.

“We must implement direct interventions to address these deprivations such as enhancing access to education and tackling multi-dimensional challenges to improve human capital in the coming years,” he said.

According to the report, poverty in Malawi has increased from 60.5% in 2017 to 69.6% in 2020, a decline that has both multiple and overlapping deprivations. Across all age groups (0-17 years), the single deprivation analysis reveals that deprivations were highest in sanitation (64.7%), followed by housing (47.9%) and education (46.7%). The lowest deprivation rate was in protection (11.5%).

Notably, the spike in the deprivation rate of sanitation between 2017 (21.9%) and 2020 (64.7%) was mainly on account of a definitional change that has been adopted in the report.

The multi-dimensional headcount was highest in children aged 15-17 years (72.9%) and lowest in children aged 0-23 months (52.9%).

Children residing in rural areas were more deprived in all dimensions than their urban counterparts. For instance, 76.6% of children living in rural areas were multi-dimensionally poor, compared to 26.4% in urban areas. This is true for dimensions, as about 70% of the children residing in rural areas were deprived of sanitation compared to 35.1% of those in urban areas.

Jamali, therefore, appealed to district councils including Zomba to take the necessary steps and address the findings of the report.

A statistician from NSO’s Industry Section responsible for household surveys, Isaac Mwale said the report provides a comprehensive overview of areas requiring attention.

“The report offers guidance for developing an integrated approach, addressing all dimensions simultaneously and creating policies that focus on specific areas of need,” Mwale said.

He observed that the Malawi 2063 Vision’s emphasizes on improving children’s welfare that aligns with the report’s objectives.

Director of Planning and Development for Zomba District Council, Precious Kamtsitsi acknowledged the report’s insights and supported the NPC’s recommendation for an integrated approach to solving the socio-economic challenges faced by children.

“Various development partners in health and education must collaborate and pool resources. Our council is designed to work in a multi-sectoral manner and with our partners in Zomba, we will address the challenges highlighted in the report,” Kamtsitsi said.