Children - Terre des Hommes

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from TB in the state and the state accounts for 10 per cent
of the TB related deaths in the country. 287
HIV infection across Andhra Pradesh is also extremely high
as it is estimated that the state accounts for around 22 per
cent of the HIV positive persons in India. According to the
estimates given by National AIDS Control Organisation
(NACO), of the total number of 103,857 AIDS cases
reported in the country till 31 July 2005, as many as 11,280
cases, accounting for nearly 11 per cent, are from Andhra
Pradesh and so far, the state has recorded 739 AIDS related
deaths. 288
Nearly 39.91 per cent families in the state are below the
poverty line, which is better than the all India average of
41.23 per cent 289 . On the other hand alternative estimates
made by independent researchers show that the poverty
rate in the state is closer to the all India pattern i.e. 26 per
cent in rural areas and 12 per cent in urban areas 290 . The
Sachar Committee Report 2006 provides different levels
of poverty for different groups. In their estimates SCs/STs
together are the most poor.
Status of Children
According to Census 2001 there were 17,713,764 children
aged 14 years and under and 25,293,728 in the age group of
5-19 years, in Andhra Pradesh. Official statistics give the gross
drop-out rate of the state as 43.03 per cent—42.62 per cent
for boys and 43.46 per cent for girls. The government statistics
of Andhra Pradesh reveal that close to a million children in
the age group 6–14 years are out of school 291 . According to
the estimation of Pratham’s ASER 2008 survey, 3.4 per cent
children of the same age group are out of school and around
12.1 per cent children between 3 and 4 years of age are not
enrolled in any anganwadi centre or pre-school. 292
According to the Census 2001, there were 1,363,339 children
aged between 5 and 14 and 4,504,471 children aged between
5 and 19 years working as child labour in Andhra Pradesh.
Census report also shows that 11,660 children aged between
5 and 14 years and 37,586 children between 5 and 19 years are
working only in the mining and quarrying sector and 7,760
children are working in hazardous occupation 293 . In Andhra
Pradesh the total number of children covered under NCLP
is 50,921. 294
IMR of the state in 2005-06 was estimated at 54 per 1,000
live births and the under five mortality is 63 per 1,000 live
births. Infant mortality in rural areas of Andhra Pradesh is
almost double that in urban area. In the first year of life, girls
in Andhra Pradesh face a lower risk of mortality than boys;
but between the age of one and five, girls have a slightly higher
mortality rate. 295
Malnutrition is a huge problem in the state as almost half of
the children show signs of prolonged malnourishment; 43 per
cent of children under the age of 5 years are stunted. Children
in rural areas are more likely to be undernourished and in the
case of girls the likelihood of undernourishment is relatively
higher than that of boys. 296 High rate of malnutrition has
also been seen among the children of migrant labours. Most
of the children of the migrant labours are underweight and
have spots on their faces. 297 In Andhra Pradesh prevalence of
anaemia among the age group of 6–15 months is very high
(more than 70 per cent). 298
Andhra Pradesh has a very high rate of child trafficking and
accounts for 40 per cent of the total cases. 26 per cent of
women or girls enter into the trade between the ages of 14–16
years, 20 per cent between the age of 16–18 years and 16 per
cent before the age of 14. 299
287 http://www.whoindia.org/en/section3/section123.htm
288 Human Development Report Andhra Pradesh 2007
289 Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question no. 2688, dated 8.8.2001
290 Deaton (2000, 2001) estimates unit prices for different states for the years 1987-88, 1993-94 and 1999-00 using the NSS data.
291 Human Development Report Andhra Pradesh 2007
292 Pratham’s ASER 2008 survey
293 Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question no. 2691, dated 9.8.2000
294 Annual report 2001-02, Ministry of Labour, Govt of India
295 NFHS-3
296 Human Development Report Andhra Pradesh 2007
297 The Hindu, Andhra Pradesh, Monday 16 November 2009
298 NFHS-3
299 Human Development Report Andhra Pradesh 2007