Economic Crisis Could Raise Infant Mortality, Malnutrition Rates: UN

The deepening global economic crisis could significantly raise infant mortality and malnutrition rates, a UN official said Tuesday, urging Asian governments to protect millions of vulnerable children.

Despite budgetary constraints, there is no reason to cut back on social spending, said Anupama Rao Singh, director for East Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Singh warned that, based on previous experience, the current economic crisis could result in a 5-10 percent increase in anaemia among pregnant women and a 10 percent rise in low birth weights among babies in severely affected countries.

Infant mortality is expected to increase between 3.0 and 10 percent and the malnutrition rate among children could rise by 10 percent, she said, without specifying exactly the number of youngsters at risk.

Real data on the impact of the global meltdown was not yet available, Singh said at a conference to assess the impact of the global economic crisis on children. The event was jointly sponsored by UNICEF and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

While economies in the region have been affected by the global slump, many are still expected to post economic growth, although at a slower pace, Singh said.

"In this context, I think the first implication for us is that there is absolutely no justification for cutting back programmes and services for the poor or for children. This is not the time to do it," Singh said.