5 million children under five are dying every year; nearly half of them die in the first 28 days of life primarily due to premature birth, birth complications, neonatal infections, and congenital anomalies. Having access to a skilled health provider like a doctor, midwife, or nurse (skilled birth attendance) can reduce complications around birth and mitigate preventable maternal and child deaths. There has been notable progress in the percentage of births attended by a skilled health personnel [from 64% on average during 2001-2007 to 84% during 2015-2021](https://https://data.unicef.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/F05/Delivering-for-women_brochure_8-May-2022.pdf). However, the advances have not been equal for all groups and the rates vary widely across countries. In recent years progress has also slowed. Estimates by Save the Children show nearly [1 in 5 mothers globally will give birth without skilled attendance](https://www.savethechildren.net/news/maternal-health-nearly-one-five-children-born-2024-will-enter-world-without-medical-care) this year. This puts the lives of 24 million mothers and newborns at risk, many of those from disadvantaged backgrounds.   

The Child Atlas depicts global data on skilled birth attendance, showing us where mothers and newborns are more at risk from unsafe deliveries. The map highlights countries with low skilled birth attendance rates, most of those in Sub-Saharan Africa. The contrast is stark in 11 countries in the region where less than half of the women give birth with skilled attendance. Most of these are low-income economies with often poor healthcare systems.  

A new feature in the Child Atlas lets us add a contextual layer, which gives some background on the risks, crises, and insecurities in the country, if any. This allows us to see at a glance if countries with low skilled birth attendance rates are also countries experiencing other vulnerabilities. We find that among the 11 countries where less than half of the women give birth with skilled attendance, 8 countries are also conflict-affected, 7 are also affected by hunger, and 4 are experiencing extremely high climate risks. Further analysis is supporting this initial finding: mothers in conflict-affected countries are 3 times more likely to give birth without skilled attendance compared to those in countries not affected by conflict.  

![Skilled birth attendance-global map (2).png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1721234899/Skilled_birth_attendance_global_map_2_244154ddbf.png)

Cross-country differences give us a good overview of how the indicator varies across countries. In addition, it is important to look at disaggregated data to understand the inequalities faced by different groups of women and children. The Child Atlas visualises disaggregation of global skilled birth attendance data by residence and wealth quintile as shown below. We observe a 17-percentage points difference in births by skilled attendants between urban and rural residences (93% vs 76%). This gap is even larger, 29-percentage points, among the richest and poorest households (96% vs 67%). The size of the inequalities is evident from the size of the triangles.

![skilled birth attendance-candleStickContainerName.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1721234738/skilled_birth_attendance_candle_Stick_Container_Name_8fc606fb0d.png)

Read more on skilled birth attendance and Save the Children’s recommendations to governments and donors on improving it in our recent policy brief, [Silent Emergency: Women Dying, to Give Life](https://www.savethechildren.es/sites/default/files/2024-05/Briefing_Silent_Emergency_Women_Dying_to_Give_Life_EN.pdf). 

large_CH1395295_Nurse Bisharo with Aisha and her newborn baby, Barkhad.jpg

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small_CH1395295_Nurse Bisharo with Aisha and her newborn baby, Barkhad.jpg

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CH1395295_Nurse Bisharo with Aisha and her newborn baby, Barkhad.jpg

5 million children under five are dying every year, nearly half of them die in the first 28 days of life. Skilled birth attendance is crucial for mitigating preventable maternal and neonatal deaths. But global advances in skilled birth attendance have not been equal for all groups and in recent years progress has also slowed. 

24 million mothers a year give birth without skilled attendance

Beyond the immediate loss of life and injuries, conflicts and humanitarian crises pose many challenges to children: they make finding work harder for parents, disrupt education, increase costs and poverty, all of which weakens the protections that should be in place to keep children safe from violence. In turn, these factors increase girls' risk of child marriage. As previous evidence shows, child marriage is often seen as a way to reduce financial pressures on families or to protect girls from other forms of gender-based violence. 

The [Child Atlas illustrates this relationship](https://www.childatlas.org/atlas?indicator1=PT_F_20_24_MRD_U18&topic1=CP.VG&indicator2=CONFLICT_AFFECTED&topic2=CI.CM), showing that many countries with high rates of child marriage are also places where a high share of children are affected by conflict (for instance Mali or Central African Republic). But this relationship is not consistent throughout: there are many conflict situations where child marriage is not as high as in more peaceful settings, and vice versa. And while the correlation shown in the Child Atlas can be indicative of a causal relationship – conflict increasing child marriage – we need more elaborate analytical tools to study this in detail. 

![child marriage_conflict.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1720712579/child_marriage_conflict_4a2c6b394f.png)

This was exactly what we did for the [Global Girlhood Report 2022]( https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/global-girlhood-report-2022-girls-on-the-frontline/) Most studies analysing the impact of conflict on child marriage focus on one particular area and use qualitative techniques, providing invaluable insights into the drivers of child marriage in humanitarian contexts. However, we were interested in quantifying this relationship across a large number of countries to understand how much child marriage might increase as a result of conflict. After almost two years, our analysis has just been published in the [academic journal SN Social Sciences](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43545-024-00940-7).

In this analysis, we first combined data across 56 countries, covering 3.5 million women and 2.1 million marriages. We then linked the household locations of these women to a geographically granular dataset covering conflict events over the last 30 years that shows whether any armed conflicts had taken place during that time and how many people had been killed. Bringing these two sets of information together, to see if child marriages were more prevalent during times of conflict.  

Our results showed that girls were 20% more likely to get married if a conflict took place in their area in previous five years. However, this finding hides a lot of variation, with the impacts varying between world regions and countries. You can read the whole study [here](https://rdcu.be/dNayG). 

large_CH1545104_Samira, aged 14, at school in Yatenga province, Burkina Faso..jpg

medium_CH1545104_Samira, aged 14, at school in Yatenga province, Burkina Faso..jpg

small_CH1545104_Samira, aged 14, at school in Yatenga province, Burkina Faso..jpg

thumbnail_CH1545104_Samira, aged 14, at school in Yatenga province, Burkina Faso..jpg

CH1545104_Samira, aged 14, at school in Yatenga province, Burkina Faso..jpg

Conflicts and humanitarian crises significantly heighten the risk of child marriage. Our research shows that girls in conflict zones are 20% more likely to marry, though the impact varies by region and country.

Girls on the Frontline: Are girls more likely to marry in conflict? 

Play is a fundamental right, helping children to develop, building resilience and instilling confidence. That’s why the UN celebrates on 11th June the [International Day of Play](https://www.internationaldayofplay.org/).
Toys are by no means the only way to play, but there are one joyful way of play, as many of us can probably remember. But a quick data analysis of household surveys across 62 mostly low- and middle-income countries show that this experience is not true for many children: only two-thirds of children age 0-4 years play with homemade or shop-bought toys. 

<iframe src='https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/18332812/embed' title='Interactive or visual content' class='flourish-embed-iframe' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' style='width:100%;height:600px;' sandbox='allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-scripts allow-downloads allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation'></iframe>
 
Only four out of ten children in Mauritania and Malawi are playing with toys. As often, we also see steep inequities between children depending on the wealth of their parents: while 84% of children in the richest 20% of households play with toys, this is only true for 55% of children in the poorest 20%.
A Save the Children colleague from Bangladesh rightly says, “Play is the only language children speak. And we must all learn that language.” Unfortunately, our data shows that not all children have currently the abilities to join in – something to keep in mind as we celebrate today [International Day of Play](https://www.internationaldayofplay.org/).

Anna, 10, and Sofia, 5, play in a Child Friendly Space in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine

large_CH1972176_Anna, 10, and Sofia, 5, play in a Child Friendly Space in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.jpg

medium_CH1972176_Anna, 10, and Sofia, 5, play in a Child Friendly Space in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.jpg

small_CH1972176_Anna, 10, and Sofia, 5, play in a Child Friendly Space in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.jpg

thumbnail_CH1972176_Anna, 10, and Sofia, 5, play in a Child Friendly Space in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.jpg

CH1972176_Anna, 10, and Sofia, 5, play in a Child Friendly Space in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.jpg

Play is a fundamental right, helping children to develop, building resilience and instilling confidence. However, only two-thirds of young children play with homemade or shop-bought toys, and the rate is even lower for children in the poorest families.

A day for play?

Child rights are often particularly at risk in countries facing crises and insecurities. For instance, [183 million children across the world face the triple threat](https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/generation-hope-2-4-billion-reasons-to-end-the-global-climate-and-inequality-crisis/) of high climate risk, poverty and conflict. The Child Atlas allows users to see how different topics overlap and relate to each other. However, we wanted to provide an even quicker visual indication of some of these background risks when browsing the Child Atlas, always providing context to the rich data we present. 

A new function on the Child Atlas allows you to add information on contextual factors directly to the data you are viewing. When scanning the global or regional maps on the Atlas, you can activate the context toggle to see small marks indicating countries that face specific challenges. Hovering over the marks shows the exact type of crisis. 

![context_toggle.gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1716544080/context_toggle_5bb39776eb.gif)

In our [methodological note](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1708694926/Context_Layer_eab20f06b8.pdf?updated_at=2024-02-23T13:28:47.302Z) we describe in detail how we categorized countries as conflict- or hunger-affected, experiencing extremely high climate risk, or in debt distress. However, any contextual layer can only provide a shortcut and may obscure important differences and nuances between countries. Choosing a specific crisis or insecurity indicator as a second layer in the Child Atlas allows you to explore such relationships in more detail. 

We also added more information about each indicator and links to related tools directly into the Child Atlas. We hope this helps explain why this data matters for children and helps you quickly find other valuable resources to dive deeper into individual data points. You can find all this information at the top of the Atlas page, directly above the map: 

- **‘About this indicator’** provides a quick definition of the selected indicator and its relevance to children. 
- **AI-generated explainers summarize the data.** Please interpret these with caution, as AI-generated content is clearly marked with a red AI symbol. 
- **‘Other helpful tools’** links to external tools that provide more detailed data on this particular indicator or topic, helping you dive deeper if you need additional information. 
- **‘Visit our resource center’** links directly to related resources, reports, toolkits, and guidance from [Save the Children’s Child Rights Resource Centre](https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/). The Child Rights Resource Centre is an open digital library that hosts comprehensive, reliable, and up-to-date information on Save the Children’s and our partners’ work.

![descriptions.gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1716544080/descriptions_fa69a0a3a8.gif)

The Child Atlas puts high-quality, publicly available data at your fingertips. Crucially, it also contextualizes the wide range of different child topics and indicators by linking them to children’s voices and their own descriptions through our [growing number of blogs](https://www.childatlas.org/blog) and our experiments with AI-generated explainers and descriptions. We hope these new additions provide you with even further contextual information and links. 

Wassan, 9, playing outside with her friends and siblings in the land that her family used to cultivate before the drought in Abu al-Khaseeb, Basra Governorate, Iraq

large_CH1925952_Wassan, 9, playing outside with her friends and siblings in the land that her family used to cultivate before the drought in Abu al-Khaseeb, Basra Governorate, Iraq.jpg

medium_CH1925952_Wassan, 9, playing outside with her friends and siblings in the land that her family used to cultivate before the drought in Abu al-Khaseeb, Basra Governorate, Iraq.jpg

small_CH1925952_Wassan, 9, playing outside with her friends and siblings in the land that her family used to cultivate before the drought in Abu al-Khaseeb, Basra Governorate, Iraq.jpg

thumbnail_CH1925952_Wassan, 9, playing outside with her friends and siblings in the land that her family used to cultivate before the drought in Abu al-Khaseeb, Basra Governorate, Iraq.jpg

CH1925952_Wassan, 9, playing outside with her friends and siblings in the land that her family used to cultivate before the drought in Abu al-Khaseeb, Basra Governorate, Iraq.jpg

Child rights are often particularly at risk in countries facing crises and insecurities.  By integrating key contextual factors, the Child Atlas now offers a quicker and more intuitive way to see how crises like conflict, climate risk, and poverty intersect with children's lives.  

Contextual insights at your fingertips

Globally, vaccines are one of the main drivers behind the decline in child mortality over the past 30 years. Vaccine coverage has improved greatly over the past decades: a graph from the Child Atlas below shows trends in data on the percentage of infants who received three doses of diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus vaccine (DPT3), a crucial vaccine in childhood immunisation, from 1980 to 2022 . The global percentage of infants receiving three doses of the DTP3 vaccine increased from 20% to 84% compared to an increase from 1% to 69% in West and Central Africa. The trend lines show a considerable gap in the progress between children in the rest of the world and children in West and Central Africa.  However, the steady increase in vaccination rates is threatened by several factors: for instance, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the [suspension of several immunisation campaigns](https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/05/1064772?utm_source=UN+News+-+Newsletter&utm_campaign=c81a570bfc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_05_23_12_05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fdbf1af606-c81a570bfc-107350782). 

![Global trends and projections of DPT3 vaccination](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1714660492/Global_and_regional_DPT_3_trends_5c2c32e494.png)
The Child Atlas also depicts the most recent data on the same in global, regional, and national maps. Let's look at the one on West and Central Africa below. The map shows that DPT3 vaccine coverage differs widely among neighbouring countries in the region, from 99% in Ghana, to 60% in Gabon, to less than half the population in Guinea (47%) and Central African Republic (42%). This shows that the regional average conceals the varying rates of vaccine coverage in countries across the region which provide interesting insights. 

![Regional inequalities in vaccination in West and Central Africa](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1714660492/DPT_3_WCA_map_2acb2a68e3.png)
The Child Atlas also allows us to look into the trends of individual nations within the region. For instance, looking into the change over time in Ghana, Guinea, and Equatorial Guinea as shown below, we see a nuanced picture of progress and stagnation. Ghana's rise from the bottom in 1980 through a steady increase to achieving nearly full coverage in 2022 is exemplary for other countries in the region. It shows that with the right support, policy and investment, any country from any part of the world can deliver on crucial child rights, such as vaccination. In contrast, we see Equatorial Guinea's rollercoaster journey with a noticeable sharp rise in the mid-1980s, followed by a sharp fall in the late 1990s. After some more up and down, from 2010 onwards, there has been no observable progress in vaccine coverage from around 50%. Guinea experienced a surge in child vaccinations in the early 1990s but in later years, it failed to maintain the momentum of its progress. Regrettably, from 2010 onwards, there was a fall in the share of infants who received the DTP3 vaccine in Guinea. Since then, progress has been flat, and it has the lowest coverage among the three countries. The DTP3 vaccines are three doses, and many children remain under-vaccinated, meaning that they do not complete all the three doses. [Low first-dose (DPT1) coverage and high relative dropout before the third dose together drove low DPT3 coverage in Equatorial Guinea and Guinea](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6497987/). These are worrying trends and serves as a poignant reminder of the work that lies ahead.

![Cross-country DPT3 trends.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1714660492/Cross_country_DPT_3_trends_4f6bb48673.png)
Investments in vaccinations have multiple returns to children as well as governments. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.8 calls for access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable vaccines for all. Increasing the coverage of child vaccinations is expected to have catalytic impacts on other SDG targets and indicators. For instance, if Equatorial Guinea and Guinea can vaccinate more children, it will be more likely for these countries to achieve the SDG target of under-five mortality. Moreover, the [return on investment for immunization has been estimated to be US $44 for every dollar invested](https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/immunization), including broader social and economic benefits. In West and Central Africa, concrete steps and concerted efforts of the global community and local stakeholders is needed to accomplish SDG 3.8 and change the trajectory of progress for countries like Guinea and Equatorial Guinea.

Low rates of child vaccinations in West and Central African countries elucidate the vulnerabilities of children living in these countries and underscore the necessity of improving vaccine delivery systems. On the supply side, local production of vaccines, wherever possible, will be conducive to effective mass vaccination needed to achieve universal coverage of all children in West and Central Africa. The G7 should [prioritize investment and collaboration with emerging market manufacturers to boost manufacturing capacity](https://www.savethechildren.net/blog/global-health-and-vaccine-inequality-measures-g7-achieve-health-all-2022) in poorer countries. [Donors that have committed a minimum of 0.7% of GNI on ODA should make serious efforts to meet this target with increased spending on health ODA](https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/pdf/strenghtening-health-systems-universal-health-coverage-2021.pdf/). On the demand side, carefully designed public awareness campaigns must be continued through traditional methods, conventional media outlets, and social media to dispel myths about child vaccinations and encourage more people to get their children vaccinated. The global community together with local actors must strive for a world where no child will be left unvaccinated from life-threatening infectious diseases. 

Guinea is a low income country in West & Central Africa. It ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 2015 the country committed to support delivery of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the pledge to leave no one behind.

Guinea

Ghana is a lower middle income country in West & Central Africa. It ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 2015 the country committed to support delivery of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the pledge to leave no one behind.

Ghana

Healthworker Nura Ibrahim administers a vaccine at a school in a remote community in Jigawa State, Nigeria

large_CH1667843_Healthworker Nura Ibrahim administers a vaccine at a school in a remote community in Jigawa State, Nigeria..jpg

medium_CH1667843_Healthworker Nura Ibrahim administers a vaccine at a school in a remote community in Jigawa State, Nigeria..jpg

small_CH1667843_Healthworker Nura Ibrahim administers a vaccine at a school in a remote community in Jigawa State, Nigeria..jpg

thumbnail_CH1667843_Healthworker Nura Ibrahim administers a vaccine at a school in a remote community in Jigawa State, Nigeria..jpg

CH1667843_Healthworker Nura Ibrahim administers a vaccine at a school in a remote community in Jigawa State, Nigeria..jpg

The Child Atlas show global, regional and national trends of vaccine coverage. The global percentage of infants receiving three doses of the DTP3 vaccine increased from 20% to 84% compared to an increase from 1% to 69% in West and Central Africa. We find interesting pathways when we look further at country-specific trends in West and Central Africa and do a cross-country analysis among 3 neighbouring countries—Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea.

Saving children with vaccines

The first few years of a child are crucial, building the foundations for learning and behaviour throughout life. During this critical period, early childhood education can shape the trajectories of children’s lives. It contributes to [school readiness, prevents grade repetition, and strengthens school performance](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9358374/). Additionally, it brings long-term benefits to children, their families, and also to their economies. [Evidence from studies by Noble Laureate James Heckman](https://heckmanequation.org/resource/early-childhood-education/) shows the high rate of return on investments in early childhood education by reducing intergenerational poverty, lowering social welfare costs, decreasing crime rates, and increasing tax revenue. Despite the advantages, [half of all pre-primary school aged children are still out of school](https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/175-million-children-are-not-enrolled-pre-primary-education-unicef).

The Child Atlas brings together data on pre-primary attendance and allows us to perform cross-country comparisons of disaggregated trends by gender, residence and wealth. This data shows how children from the poorest and rural households are facing high inequalities in pre-primary education compared to those from the richest and urban households. The graphs below illustrate the same for percentage of children who attend organised learning programmes one year before the official primary entry age in Central African Republic (CAF), Liberia, and Sierra Leone. It is important to understand disaggregated trends in this data to uncover the stories behind the statistics and ensure policies and programs are inclusive and effective for all segments of the population. Looking at the graphs, we observe some intriguing trends.

![pre-primary_rural.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1713449811/pre_primary_rural_9694bbba0d.png)

![pre-primary_wealth.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1713449811/pre_primary_wealth_5051397683.png)

## What do the trends show?

The graphs show overall progress for all groups of children between 2006 and 2019 in all the three countries but sadly, progress has not been inclusive. The disaggregates show that in all three countries gender inequalities are the lowest, while the rural-urban divide is significant (figure 1), and wealth inequalities are the highest (figure 2). These factors are often intertwined. For instance, children from wealthier households often live in urban areas. [Only 3% of all children in pre-primary schools are from the poorest families](https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi6176Az8aFAxXgZmwGHRUpCAkQFnoECBEQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdata.unicef.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F11%2FMICS-EAGLE-Country-Report-Sierra-Leone-English.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3JB72Lqq5fdzb4GFvD699T&opi=89978449) compared to about 50% of them being from the richest backgrounds. Moreover, [in cities and towns about 1 in 4 schools are pre-primary](https://www.unicef.org/sierraleone/media/1306/file/Sierra%20Leone%20Education%20Sector%20Plan%202022%20-%202026.pdf) while in more rural districts only 1 in 10 schools are pre-primary.

Zooming into Sierra Leone we see a V-shaped trend line for all groups from 2008 to 2013, but the trajectory of progress has slowed since 2013, more so for rural and poorer children. During this period, the gaps between the groups was the highest since 2008. These changes can possibly be explained by the Ebola virus epidemic of 2014-2016 which disproportionately affected marginalised children. Overall, we find that at lower rates of attendance, inequality was lower and started increasing with rising rates. This shows that higher rates of attendance are arising from more children of privileged households attending pre-primary programmes. 

However, Sierra Leone had the most inclusive progress compared to CAF and Liberia. It is also the only country showing an increasing trend line for all groups of children. In contrast, the highest inequalities are found in CAF where there is no sign of convergence and rather, the most advantaged and most disadvantaged groups are diverging. The fact that pre-primary programmes in the three countries was not free could partly explain the differences in attendance rates by wealth quintiles. The trends point us to conduct further research on the three countries to find answers to questions we stumble upon during the analysis. 

This data underscores the urgency to align policy and programmes to ensure that all children achieve SDG 4, especially those impacted by inequality and discrimination. Research shows that [pre-primary education creates the highest rate of return on investment](https://www.unicef.org/education/early-childhood-education) compared to other levels of education. Yet it receives even less than 1% of international aid to education and in low-income countries it receives less than 2% of the government’s education budget. The recent strides in policy, such as the 2018 Free Quality School Education Programme in Sierra Leone which aims to make equitable access to pre-primary education by making it free for all children, along with the 2021 National School Feeding Policy offer some hope for a more inclusive tomorrow. We must now wait for the updated data to see if progress in recent years is closing the gaps and charting the required trajectory.

Sierra Leone is a low income country in West & Central Africa. It ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 2015 the country committed to support delivery of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the pledge to leave no one behind.

Sierra Leone

Central African Republic is a low income country in West & Central Africa. It ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 2015 the country committed to support delivery of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the pledge to leave no one behind.

Central African Republic

Liberia is a low income country in West & Central Africa. It ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 2015 the country committed to support delivery of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the pledge to leave no one behind.

Liberia

Early childhood education can shape the trajectories of children’s lives, their communities and economies. Despite the short-term and long-term benefits of pre-primary education, half of all pre-primary school aged children are still out of school. The Child Atlas shows pre-primary attendance in Central African Republic (CAF), Liberia, and Sierra Leone had overall progress for all groups of children but sadly, progress has not been inclusive. It depicts more intriguing and contrasting trends in the disaggregated data for the three countries which are often hidden by national averages.

Inequality in pre-primary attendance in West and Central Africa

_This blog was first published on the new [Child Benefit Tracker](https://www.childbenefitstracker.org/), a joint partnership by Save the Children, UNICEF and ILO to establish a one-stop-shop to track countries' pathways to expanding child benefits._

## How are Climate Risks jeopardizing the SDG of ending extreme child poverty?
The climate crisis is not a distant risk, but is already threatening children’s rights and their well-being here and now. Estimates suggest that [4 out of 5 children face at least one extreme climate event](https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/generation-hope-2-4-billion-reasons-to-end-the-global-climate-and-inequality-crisis/) – floods, cyclones, droughts, wildfires etc. – every year. These climate risks threaten the global goal of ending extreme child poverty. They push people further into poverty or prevent others from escaping it, undermining current efforts to alleviate poverty.
A [new report by the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56588879e4b0060cdb607883/t/656d8b2b0d371a5b7f1d6057/1701677873038/Children+in+poverty+-+Climate+crisis.pdf) looks at the nexus between climate change and child poverty. Children living in poverty are often more likely to suffer harm, as they for instance live in lower-quality housing, experiencing already food insecurity or other health issues, and may have inadequate access to information. And once affected by a cliamte disaster, children in poverty have often fewer capacities to cope with and adapt to the effects, as their families might be already monetarily poor, have more vulnerable livelihoods or limited access to social protection. A new analysis for this report illustrated the impact of extreme weather events on multidimensional child poverty, focusing on floods in Nigeria, Uganda and Malawi: children living inside a 5km buffer zone of flooded areas were on average 48 per cent more likely to experience multidimensional poverty compared to children living outside of this buffer zone, even after adjusting for other possible determinants of child poverty. As a result, climate change and child poverty reinforce each other: not only are children living in poverty more vulnerable to the effects of disaster or environmental stress, but these effects also increase their likelihood of living in poverty – establishing a vicious cycle.

## Are children living in poverty more exposed to climate shocks?
Children in low- and middle-income countries often bear the brunt of climate change and its impact – despite contributing least to it. A [study by the World Bank](https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/illustrating-gap-between-global-extreme-poor-and-global-emissions) showed that countries home to half of the population living in extreme poverty contribute only 3 per cent of global emissions. Our analysis in this report went even deeper and combined for the first-time detailed child poverty data on a subnational level with information on climate risks for 83 low- and middle-income countries. We find that children living in poverty are particularly exposed to the impacts of extreme weather events: 3 out of 10 children live in provinces with above-average rates of child poverty and climate risks.

<iframe src='https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/16721285/embed' title='Interactive or visual content' class='flourish-embed-iframe' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' style='width:100%;height:600px;' sandbox='allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-scripts allow-downloads allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation'></iframe>

However, we also found that the link between subnational level of child poverty and exposure to climate risks is complex: while in some world regions poorer provinces are more exposed to some climate risks, for other risks or world regions we find the opposite relationship or no link at all. This reiterates the importance to conduct national and local analyses on the link between child poverty and climate hazards.

## What policies and programmes can mitigate the impacts of climate shocks on vulnerable children, in particular?
Luckily, we already know what is needed to end child poverty. Contexts may vary significantly, but a [core policy agenda](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56588879e4b0060cdb607883/t/634c6198f77b8b342de40f8e/1665950105327/Ending+child+poverty_a+policy+agenda.pdf) to address the key issues involves the following: 1) Making child poverty reduction a national priority; 2) Expanding child-sensitive social protection; 3) Improving access to and prioritising funding of quality public services; and 4) Promoting a decent work and inclusive growth agenda. Child-sensitive social protection programmes are particularly important to strengthen households’ resilience and coping strategies in response to climate shocks, stresses and hazards. It is particularly important to invest in strong routine social protection systems, including child benefits, and enhance their shock responsiveness. Unfortunately, statutory child benefit schemes are often lowest in the countries at the forefront of the climate crisis: across countries [considered by UNICEF to face extremely high climate risk](https://www.unicef.org/reports/climate-crisis-child-rights-crisis) only 10% of children are covered with child benefits. In contrast, countries facing somewhat lower climate risk have on average coverage rates of 39%, almost four times higher.
To withstand climate shocks, countries need to increase preparedness and build resilience - investment in social protection policy frameworks and operational systems that allow for rapid scale up to reach populations, especially children living in poverty, are essential for both!

_Read the [original blog on the Child Benefit Tracker](https://www.childbenefitstracker.org/) and explore data on child benefits around the world in our new data tool._

Inonge (38) and her son Lawrence (7) inspect their failed maize crop in drought-hit Zambia

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CH11009118_Inonge (38) and her son Lawrence (7) inspect their failed maize crop in drought-hit Zambia.jpg

Children in poverty and their families contribute the least to the climate crisis, yet they bear the brunt of it. Using data on multidimensional child poverty and climate risks from the Child Atlas, we investigated this intersection in a recent report by the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty. Our analysis finds that children living in poverty are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather events.

Child poverty and the Climate Crisis: A Disproportionate Burden

_On 14 February, Save the Children, UNICEF and ILO launched the [Global Child Benefits Tracker](https://www.childbenefitstracker.org/), a joint project to establish a one-stop-shop to track countries' pathways to expanding child benefits._

Social protection is a universal right and one of the most effective tools in reducing child poverty. It helps children and families to overcome barriers to accessing adequate nutrition, health, education and protection required to ensure children reach their full potential. But new data shows that just 28.1% of children aged 0-15 years globally have access to child or family benefit. 

The new data released by Save the Children, UNICEF and ILO shows a modest global increase in access to child benefits over a period of 14 years, from 20% in 2009 to 28.1% in 2023. However, progress has been unequal: in low-income countries, rates of coverage remain staggeringly low, at around 9%. At the same time, 84.6% of children in high-income countries are covered, almost ten times as many as in low-income countries. 


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Effective coverage with child benefits also varies significantly by world regions: we find the highest coverage of children in Western Europe, followed by North America and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In contrast, children are least likely to be covered in West and Central Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa, or in East Asia and Pacific.

Positively, child benefits are now more prevalent in all world regions than 14 years ago. And encouragingly, rates have increased particularly strongly in some of the regions least covered. For instance, in West and Central Africa rates have almost quadrupled from 3.1% in 2009 to 11.8% in 2023. Similarly in South Asia, coverage rates increased significantly from 9.2% in 2009 to 24.3 in 2023.

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Those regional and global figures hide some important differences between countries. In almost all low-income countries, less than 1 in 5 children are covered by child or family benefits. The exception are Malawi and Togo, the latter increased their coverage from 49% in 2019 to 74.5% in 2022. 

Mongolia is unique in being a lower middle-income country with  universal coverage of all children. In that income group, Bangladesh had some of the largest increases in recent years, raising coverage from 29.4% in 2020 to 44.5% in 2021.
And while on average countries in higher income groups have more children covered, there are surprisingly many children not receiving child or family benefits.

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Child benefits are a critical form of social protection, intended to promote the long-term wellbeing of girls and boys, including children with disabilities. Paid in cash or tax credits, child benefits are essential for reducing poverty and building resilience. This support is particularly important in a world with overlapping crises and insecurity. Unfortunately, countries most at risk are often those that are least covered. The availability of statutory child benefit schemes are often lowest in the countries at the forefront of the climate crisis: for instance, across countries [considered by UNICEF to face extremely high climate risk](https://www.unicef.org/reports/climate-crisis-child-rights-crisis) only 10% of children are covered with child benefits. In contrast, countries facing somewhat lower climate risk have on average coverage rates of 39%, almost four times higher.

Save the Children, ILO and UNICEF have developed the [Global Child Benefits Tracker](https://www.childbenefitstracker.org/) to bolster efforts to monitor and reduce exactly those gaps in child benefit coverage. And while those headline figures are also included in the Child Atlas, the Tracker much more detailed information and background on child-sensitive social protection programmes. To learn more about the important role child benefits play in helping children to fulfil their potential and additional resources, please visit [www.childbenefitstracker.org](https://www.childbenefitstracker.org/).

Children at their home in Balkh Province, Afghanistan

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CH1699199_Abdul-Ahad, 50, with his children at their home in Balkh Province, Afghanistan.jpg

Social protection is a universal right and one of the most effective tools in reducing child poverty. It helps children and families to overcome barriers to accessing adequate nutrition, health, education and protection required to ensure children reach their full potential. But new data shows that just 28.1% of children aged 0-15 years globally have access to child or family benefit. 

1.4 billion children missing out on basic social protection

1 billion children live in multidimensional poverty. This means that more than 4 in 10 children are severely deprived of rights that constitute poverty, for example because they don't go to school, don't have access to health care, are malnourished, live in overcrowded conditions or lack basic clean water and sanitation. [Our previous work](https://content.iospress.com/articles/statistical-journal-of-the-iaos/sji220060) suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic impact may have resulted in an additional 100 million children living in poverty.

# Measuring child poverty via national household surveys
How do we know this? Our estimates are based mainly on household surveys such as [Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)](https://dhsprogram.com/) and [Multi-Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS)](https://mics.unicef.org/). These surveys are conducted every few years in most low- and middle-income countries and ask thousands of households about living conditions, access to education or health care, and many other things. However, these questions cannot be asked of every family in a country, but only of a small sample that is representative of the whole population. As a result, we can use these surveys to estimate the prevalence and depth of child poverty (and many other things) both nationally and down to a sub-national level (in most countries this is states or provinces). Those surveys are extremely valuable to understand children’s lives in different contexts and the source for many indicators in the Child Atlas.

However, these data leave us in the dark about where exactly poor children live, as we cannot zoom in further than these sub-national levels. But if we don't know which districts or villages are particularly affected, how can local governments, civil society and NGOs know that their programmes and activities are reaching those most affected by inequality and discrimination? It also limits our understanding of the links between child poverty and climate change or conflict, as we often simply do not know whether children living in poverty are also living in a conflict zone, or are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters or other environmental risks. We therefore need a much more detailed understanding of the distribution of child poverty.

# Mapping poverty locally with machine learning models
Poverty maps and small area estimates are one way of addressing this challenge. The idea is to combine household survey data with satellite imagery (e.g. night lights), information on public and private infrastructure (road density, location of critical infrastructure, travel time to hospitals, mobile phone towers and connection speed, etc.) and other possibly relevant variables (altitude, vegetation, pollution, etc.). A machine learning model then takes much of the original household survey information (from those surveys where GPS information gives us the approximate location of the household) and tries to identify a relationship between these households and a wide range of possible influencing factors. For example, do poorer children tend to live in areas with less light, have longer journeys to health facilities, or live in areas with less road density? The algorithm then uses these insights to predict poverty at a very granular level. These predictions are then tested against 'ground truth' (often another dataset or an unused part of the original household survey data) to understand how well it predicts actual poverty levels.

Such poverty maps are not new, and small area estimates of monetary poverty or wealth exist in many countries. However, this has not been done for multidimensional child poverty for a large number of countries. This leaves us guessing where the poorest children live.

# Limitations and potential of poverty maps
Save the Children has been working with fellows from the University of Warwick's Data Science for Social Good initiative and UNICEF to fill this data gap. A newly developed and innovative machine learning model estimates child poverty across sub-Saharan Africa, following the idea outlined above. The end result is a granular map (in our case hexagons with an average area of 5.16 km²) of the prevalence and depth of child poverty across the region. You can read our [methodological summary here](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1697544091/Microestimates_of_Child_Poverty_in_Sub_Saharan_Africa_b52c2b529a.pdf?updated_at=2023-10-17T12:01:32.380Z), and the full model is open source for anyone to use and improve. 

Any such analysis can only be an estimate. This is very much the case with our model, and the quality of our predictions varies somewhat from country to country (especially as we are trying to estimate across a continent and not just a single country). We add prediction intervals to the dataset to illustrate this uncertainty. But we also need to be careful how we use such estimates and make sure we don't jump to conclusions based on very small estimates that may have large confidence intervals attached to them. 

But this should not detract from the value of these estimates: for the first time we have a detailed understanding of how much child poverty varies within countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and where exactly we would expect to find the poorest children. And it shows what is possible when using a machine learning model and a wealth of (publicly available) data – something we hope many countries will follow to produce their own small area estimates that can then be used to inform policy and programming decisions.

# The path forward: refining poverty maps and linking them to policy
This is only the beginning of the journey. While the level of poverty may change over time, the spatial distribution of where the poor live can be quite persistent. This means that such poverty models can indeed have a relatively long shelf life. However, we would still like to better understand how the distribution changes over time, as this helps us to analyse and track child poverty in times of crisis, such as climate shocks, food inflation or conflict. We are also working to better understand the links between child poverty and climate risks, where this type of data can provide valuable insights – more on that soon!

In the meantime, you can find the detailed poverty maps for 48 countries just below. Please feel free to use any of this data in your own work, we would love to hear about it!

_If you have any issues seeing the interactive map, please [open it directly here](https://pinea.app.carto.com/map/71367381-b21d-4126-99c7-b53aad0c64db)._

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1 billion children live in multidimensional poverty, but traditional data sources often leave us in the dark about where exactly poor children live. Save the Children has been working with fellows from the University of Warwick's Data Science for Social Good initiative and UNICEF to fill this data gap, producing for the first time micro-estimates of multidimensional child poverty across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mapping Child Poverty: Using Machine Learning to provide a more Granular Picture of Child Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa

# Data is essential to deliver children’s rights
With less than 7 years left, the world is way off-track to reach many of the Sustainable Development Goals for children set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Progress for child rights is being threatened by multiple, overlapping crises with disproportionate impacts on children’s lives. Data to understand this situation is crucial: it helps us to make better decisions, allocate resources effectively and hold policymakers to account for their actions.

# Explore children's different situations
The Child Atlas is Save the Children's new data platform to visualise, compare, analyse and understand children’s outcomes globally. The platform puts high-quality, publicly available data at your fingertips. For the first time, we bring together population-based data on key child development outcomes across multiple thematic areas in one integrated platform. This is complemented by data on risks and crises, public policies and financing decisions, and other contextual information.

- **Explore the different ways inequality affects children’s lives:** The Child Atlas includes disaggregated data where available, emphasising the inequalities in key child development indicators between different groups of children. This data is crucial to support the pledge to Leave No One Behind, allowing us to better understand the intersecting experiences of inequality, and to monitor rates of improvement. In both the Atlas and the country profiles you will find disaggregation by gender, place of residence, wealth, disability and sub-national regions. However, the availability of disaggregated data varies considerably by indicator and data source - you are most likely to find disaggregated data for child outcomes [measured through household surveys](http://www.childatlas.org/blog/count-every-child) (health, nutrition, education, child protection, poverty).

![child-poverty-candleStick.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1694430455/child_poverty_candle_Stick_311277200a.jpg)

- **Understand the relationship between different topics:** Data helps us to draw attention to threats to progress, describe emergent risks and crises, and highlight policies and financing decisions that help to advance children’s rights. Importantly, the Child Atlas helps us to better understand how risks, crises and public policies overlap with children’s outcomes across health, education, protection, and broader well-being. For example, is under-five mortality more concentrated in countries with lower coverage of basic health services? (The answer seems to be yes, as our platform shows. Although we can only show correlations, not causality!) Being able to directly compare child outcomes with potential risks (climate, conflict, hunger, etc.) or policy choices (e.g. public investment in children) is essential if we want to take a more holistic and systemic perspective on children's rights. You can do this directly in the Child Atlas by selecting a secondary topic.

![childmortality_antenatalcare.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1694430463/childmortality_antenatalcare_ae562afd42.jpg)

# Blogs and AI to make sense of the numbers
Throughout the Child Atlas, we worked hard to present data in an easy-to-use format. A growing number of blogs will tell specific data stories, provide [methodological backgrounds](http://www.childatlas.org/blog/count-every-child), or highlight innovative data projects we are working on. We also use AI-generated explainers throughout the Child Atlas to help make sense of the numbers, which are clearly marketed with a small 'AI' icon. While these help to explain the data in more detail and draw out some key insights, this is an experimental feature and sometimes they are getting things wrong (so please check any such statements).

# Tell us what you think
We are very excited to finally share the Child Atlas with you! We hope that this platform will help you to describe and highlight the situation of children through data - informing strategic decisions, supporting policy or programme interventions and providing key evidence to hold decision-makers accountable. 
We see great potential for the Child Atlas and are already working on improvements. Please get in touch to tell us what you think, how this platform helps you in your work and what you would like to see included in the future. You can write to us directly at [childatlas@savethechildren.org.uk](mailto:childatlas@savethechildren.org.uk). 

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The Child Atlas is Save the Children's new data platform to visualise, compare, analyse and understand children’s outcomes globally. The platform puts high-quality, publicly available data at your fingertips. 