Rural population of children below six in TN declines

Chennai:

Unicef has predicted that majority of children will grow up in towns and cities rather than rural areas even as the population of children below six has declined by 13 per cent in rural Tamil Nadu.

According to Unicef’s report ‘State of The World’s Children Report –2012’, more than 50 per cent of world’s population will live in urban areas. Interestingly, in Tamil Nadu the population of below six years has increased by eight per cent in the urban areas, according to Census 2011.

The state has 69 lakh children in below six age group with 48 per cent of them living in urban areas. Interestingly, the decadal variation in urban population between 2001 and 2011 has been high in Kancheepuram, Krishnagiri and Tiruvallur districts.

Unicef report has also set out five key steps to build an equitable approach to children living in town and cities. These include understanding poverty and exclusion with better data and analysis, remove barriers to inclusion by expansion of services and ensuring the use ofmarginalised families, put children first by focusing the needs of children in urban planning and infrastructure, promote partnership with urban poor with community involvement and work together to achieve results for children pooling resources and energies.

Interestingly, India under five mortality of 63 (death as per 1,000 live births), is ranked 46 in the report. Under five mortality in Tamil Nadu is 35 as per National Family Health Survey III.