Health, education recommendations for children and youth

Parliamentary Committee on Youth and Child Wellbeing has made various recommendations in health, education, employment, and access to basic services following the deeply concerning national outcomes. (Image: PNGBusinessnews)

The Special Parliamentary Committee on Children and Youths has made key recommendations on addressing “deeply concerning national outcomes” among this group of people in the country.

When presenting and tabling the report on Child and Youth wellbeing in Parliament on Thursday, the Special Parliamentary Committee on Children and Youths, through Chairman Powes Parkop made various recommendations in health, education, employment and basic services access.

In education, the committee called for accelerated implementation of early childhood education reforms, expansion of secondary infrastructure, strengthened foundational learning, and targeted support for rural and vulnerable children.

For health and nutrition, there was an urgent call for a national immunization recovery program, the implementation of a national nutrition survey, including the strengthening of the village health assistant program, among others.

Chairman of the Special Parliamentary Committee and NCD Governor Powes Parkop presented the report to Parliament on Thursday. (Image: National Parliament)

In water, sanitation and hygiene [WASH] the committee calls for the urgent establishment of a national WASH authority and a multi-year financing framework focused on equitable access.

While for child protection and juvenile justice, there was a need for stronger preventive systems, roll out of provincial child protection councils and strengthening of online safety frameworks among others.