Global Scans · Children · Weekly Summary

DRIVER: 65% of children entering primary schools today will ultimately work in new job types and functions that currently don't exist. And, the pressure to perform and be tech savvy will only increase inexorably. Discover how your children's early lives will change and how you can help them live fruitful and happy lives into adulthood.

• [New] The United Nations stated that the world's worst hunger crisis is looming, warning that one-third of Sudan's 49 million people suffer acute food insecurity and 222,000 children could die of starvation within weeks. Christianity Today
• [New] Because of the risk of skin cancer, doctors recommend protecting babies from sunlight (the Food and Drug Administration also recommends not using sunscreen on babies). Snopes
• [New] Common inherited genetic factors that predict cancer risk in the general population may predict elevated risk of new cancers among childhood cancer survivors. National Cancer Institute
• [New] Under Australia's National Immunization Program, the flu vaccine is free for higher-risk groups, including children under five, adults over 65, and pregnant women. The Conversation
• [New] The cost of online applications made within the UK for people aged 16 and above is rising from £82.50 to £88.50 while passports for children under 16 will cost £57.50, up from £53.50. Fenland Citizen
• Many Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, and every single man, woman, and child in Gaza is experiencing food insecurity. United States Department of State
• There's not nearly enough food in Gaza, malnutrition is soaring, particularly among children, and the United Nations projects that a famine could be imminent in northern Gaza. NPR
• Declining food production and nutrient losses will result in severe stunting affecting 1 million children in Africa alone and cause 183 million additional people to go hungry by 2050. PubMed Central (PMC)
• The risk of cancer increases with radiation exposure, especially in children, and medical procedures using radiation are responsible for 0.6% to 3% of cancers worldwide. PubMed Central (PMC)
• The protection crisis in South Sudan is particularly severe for women and children, who are at a higher risk of experiencing violence, exploitation, and abuse. ReliefWeb
• The children of Gaza will carry the marks of starvation as they grow into adulthood, limiting educational and workforce opportunities. The Washington Post
• In the short term, even less sustenance will be available for the children of Gaza: This week, an Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers led several assistance organizations to announce they would suspend operations. The Washington Post
• Children born in Panama while their families are in transit to North America face a high risk of being left stateless, UNHCR reports. Human Rights Watch
• Attacks on schools and kidnapping of students in Nigeria continue to threaten education in a country where about 10.5 million children aged 5 to 14 years are out of school. TVC News
• There is growing evidence that young people do not want to bring children into a world whose very survival is threatened by climate change, even as the global community fails to take the needed action. The Indian Express
• The most important reason for declining fertility is that young people are intentionally choosing not to have children because they fear the state of the world their children would inherit. The Indian Express
• Cancer patients from Gaza, including children, are living in a state of limbo in a hospital in East Jerusalem after Israeli authorities threatened to send them back. The Guardian
• Childhood overweight and obesity is increasingly prevalent, and if global trends continue, will affect up to 70 million infants and young children by the year 2025. PubMed Central (PMC)
• More than 1.5 million Haitians are at risk of famine and 360,000 Haitians - half of them being children - have been displaced, according to aid agencies. The Sun
• In North America, ages 18-34 (Gen Z and millennials) expect their online purchases across all retailers to increase by 2026 while ages 55-65 + (baby boomers) expect their online shopping across all retailers to decrease by 2026. KPMG
• In the coming decades, the majority of children will be born in some of the most resource-limited regions of the world, with over three-quarters of live births expected in low- and lower-middle-income countries by the end of the century. Medical Xpress
• Children are at higher risk given the widespread armed recruitment of children, particularly in Darfur and other areas, including eastern Sudan. UN News

Last updated: 18 April 2024