UNICEF says Moldovan authorities should direct social spending to children

The UNICEF representative to Moldova Alexandra Yuster recommends the authorities to direct the social expenditure to children. “As the children from other countries, the Moldovan children must be offered the possibility of starting their lives in the best way possible, regardless of the economic situation,” Yuster said at a news conference on Friday, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. “Despite difficulties, we must make sure that all the children go to school, are provided with medical services, do not work more than acceptable and become productive and successful adults,” the UNICEF emissary said. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child called on the Moldovan authorities to improve the legislation on children’s rights and adopt a new Education Code and deinstitutionalization strategy. The authorities must take measures to make sure that all the children, including the disabled ones, have access to studies and to minimize violence in the family and at school. “Only 23% of the children with disabilities go to school. In Moldova, the children in 230 settlements do not have access to kindergartens,” the UNICEF representative said. In Moldova there are 842,000 children. The number of newborns in 2008 was 39,000, up 2.8% (1,045) from 2007. The birth rate was 10.9 newborns per 1 000 people.