PROGRESS REPORT
TOWARDS ATTAINING THE GOALS OF THE
WORLD SUMMIT FOR CHILDREN
GUYANA
A Report prepared by the Government of Guyana in conjunction with UNICEF for the Fifth Ministerial Meeting on Children and Social Policy, Kingston, Jamaica in
October 2000.
List of Tables
1. Summary Cost of the Four Programmes in the NPA for the period 1996 3
to 2000
2. NPA Lines of Action as a Percent of Projected GDP 4
3. Child Mortality 1992-1998 10
4. Immunisation Trends Targeted Groups 11
5. Immunisation Coverage (%) for Guyana from 1996 – 1999 11
6. Water and Sanitation Indicators 12
7. AIDS Cases 13
8. Percentage Distribution of Iodine Levels by Target Group – 1997 15
9. Vitamin A Status by Target Group – 1997 15
10. Haemoglobin Status by Target Group 1997 16
11. Percent of Target Groups showing Iron Deficiency using both 16
Haemoglobin and Ferritin – 1997
12. Members of Parliament by Sex, 1993-1999 18
13. Women’s Representation at Regional and Local Government Level 1997 18
14. University of Guyana, Enrolment by Faculty and Sex, 1997-1998 19
15. Summary of Education System of Guyana, 1998-1999 21
16. Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances 25
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES i
1 Introduction and Background 1
1.1 Country Background 1
1.2 Major Milestones since 1990 concerning national social policies and 2
legislative reform in favour of children
1.3 National Plan of Action for Children 3
II Process Established for the End-Decade Report Preparation 5
III Specific Actions for Child Survival, Protection and Development 6
3.0 Conventions on the Rights of the Child 6
4.0 Health 8
4.1 Overview 9
4.2 Child Mortality 10
4.3 Immunisation 11
4.4 Water and Environmental Sanitation 12
4.5 Reproductive Control and Sexuality 13
5.0 Nutrition 15
5.1 Child Malnutrition 15
5.2 Micro-nutrients 15
6.0 Gender Issues 16
6.1 Safe Motherhood 16
6.2 Violence Against Women 17
6.3 Promoting Gender Equality 18
7.0 Education and Early Childhood Development 20
7.1 Overview 21
7.2 Early Childhood Development 22
7.3 Primary Education and Literacy 22
8.0 Children in Need of Special Protection 24
8.1 Disabilities 24
8.2 Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances 24
9.0 Children in Armed Conflict and Peace 26
IV Future Action 27
Guyana Draft Plan Of Action For The Health Sector 27
Guyana Draft Plan Of Action For The Water And Sanitation Sector 28
Guyana Draft Plan Of Action For Child Rights 29
Guyana Draft Plan Of Action For Attaining Women’s Rights 30
Guyana Draft Plan Of Action For The Education Sector 31
Bibliography 32
1. Introduction and Background
1.1 Country Background
Guyana is located on the North East Coast of the Continent of South America and lies to the north of Brazil and between Venezuela on the West and Suriname on the East. Its total area is 83,000 sq. miles (216,000 Km2). Although located on the mainland territory of the continent of South America, it is historically and culturally linked to the English speaking Caribbean and is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Topographically there is a subdivision of the country into the low coastal plain, the hilly sand and clay areas, the highland region and the interior savannahs. The population is estimated at 772,759 in 1999 and the population density is 3 persons per km2. The density is higher in the coastal belt than in the hinterland regions of the country.
Between 1970 and 1980, the population grew at 0.4 percent per annum and there was a decline at an annual average rate of 0.1 percent between 1980 and 1991. Since 1991, there has been an estimated 0.1 percent increase annually. The urban/rural distribution of the population was estimated at 36:64 in mid-1996. There was a decline in the fertility rate from 6.1 children per women in 1960 to 2.6 in 1991.
There are significant regional differences in mortality and morbidity stemming from the concentration of the population, the remoteness and geographic isolation of some communities and topographic features, which make movement of materials, personnel and machines extremely costly and difficult.
Guyana is divided into ten administrative regions, each of which is administered by a Regional Democratic Council. There are six towns, each of which is administered by a Town Council. Georgetown is the Capital City and the major urban area, its population stands at more than 200,000.
Guyana’s society is multi-racial with an ethnic distribution of Indo-Guyanese 49%, Afro-Guyanese 36%, Amerindians 7%, Mixed 7%, Chinese, Portuguese and other groups constitute 1%.
Guyana has a parliamentary government with an Executive President as Head of State. The Cabinet comprising the Prime Minister and such other ministers as the President may appoint aids the President. There are independent Commissions for the Judicial, the Public Service and the Police Service.
During the decade 1980-1990, the total and per capita GDP declined at an average annual rate of 3.5 and 3.9 percent respectively. Since 1991, there has been an average annual growth of GDP of 7 percent. The inflation rates have declined from 70.3 percent in 1991 to 4.5 percent in 1996.
Under the “Naples terms”, a significant debt reduction was achieved so that at the end of 1996, the debt was approximately US$1.5 billion down from the peak of US$2.1 billion. Gross international reserves reached US$270 million by the end of 1995, while net international reserves at the Bank of Guyana at the end of 1996 was US$154 million, up from US$15 million in 1992.
The real daily wage decreased from (G$1980) 11.55 in 1980 to 3.80 in 1990 and has since increased steadily to 8.96 in 1996.
The Government of Guyana ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in January 1991 and established the National Commission on the Rights of the Child in 1993 and in 1996 the Family Maintenance and Related Matters Committee. The National Commission on the Family has been established to ensure that the concerns of the family are high on the agenda.
The 1980 constitution embodies the principle of equality and non-discriminatory practices towards women. In July 1980, the Government of Guyana ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The Equal Rights Act of 1990 and the Prevention of Discrimination Act of 1997 were approved by parliament.
The Inter-ministry committee on Gender was established in 1996 under the aegis of the Women’s Affairs Bureau. One measure to ensure the advancement of women was the appointment of a Minister of Human Services and Social Security with responsibility for Women’s Affair. The Ministry was instrumental in the passing of the Domestic Violence Bill that was enacted by parliament.
There have been significant reforms and legislation, which have enhanced the legal status of women. They include the Married Persons (Property Amendment) Act 1990, the Family Dependant Provision Act 1990, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1995 and the Domestic Violence Act 1996.
The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security prepared a National Plan of Action for Women for 2000 to 2004. The issues of women and disabilities and the situation of indigenous women are of special concern for Guyana. The National Commission on Women has initiated action to determine the needs of women in these two areas.
1.2 Major Milestones since 1990 concerning national social policies and legislative reform in favour of children.
1. The Government of Guyana ratified the Conventions on the Rights of the Child in January 1991 and established the National Commission on the Rights of the Child in 1993.
2. The Family Maintenance and Related Matters Committee was established in 1996 under the auspices of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security.
3. The National Plan of Action for Children to the Year 2000 was completed by the National Commission for the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in 1995. The plan has been examined and approved by Cabinet and has been presented to the National Assembly for approval.
4. The Maintenance Amendment Act 1997 and Summary Jurisdiction Act approved. These acts provide for increases in the level of maintenance children could receive.
5. The steps taken to harmonise all laws relating to children and to up-date as necessary.
1.3 National Plan of Action for Children
A National Commission for the Survival, Protection and Development of Children was appointed on March 1, 1993 to prepare a Guyana National Plan of Action for Children to the year 2000. The Commission began work in July 1993, building on the work of a previous commission for children. Membership of the Commission was drawn from strategic departments within the government and from NGOs.
The National Plan of Action (NPA) is articulated in two stages, the first from its approval through to 1997, the second from 1997 to completion of the Plan in the year 2000. The two-cycle phasing of the Plan is informed by the overall strategy of keeping the issues of children and women on the political and social agenda to the maximum extent possible. This strategy presents the following opportunities:
(a) It allows momentum and consensus to be built around actions. It is expected that this will give the initial acceleration to the necessary policy decisions while allowing a clearer path to be marked for the proper implementation of the Plan.
(b) It allows identification of more concrete milestones that facilitate timely monitoring and evaluation of the Plan.
(c) It allows cost analysis more manageable giving the rapidly changing social and economic environment in the country.
(d) It coincides with the political cycle.
Table 1: Summary Cost of the Four Programmes in the NPA for the period 1996 to 2000
US$’000
Programme / 1996 / 1997 / 1998 / 1999 / 2000 / Total1. First Call for children / 31 / 21 / 21 / 22 / 22 / 117
2. Child Rights & CEDC / 1,741 / 1,700 / 1,768 / 1,816 / 1,879 / 8,904
3. Child & Maternal Health & Nutrition / 3,976.5 / 4,539.5 / 3,228.5 / 3,274.5 / 3,318.5 / 18,337.5
4. Water & Sanitation / 9,585 / 9,395 / 7,150 / 2,420 / 1,300 / 29,850
5. Early Childhood, Basic Education & Literacy / 9,643 / 10,338 / 15,300 / 15,988 / 15,997 / 67,226
TOTAL / 24,976.5 / 25,993.5 / 27,467.5 / 23,520.5 / 22,516.5 / 124,474.5
Source: National Plan of Action, 1995
The overall cost of the NPA during its five-year period of implementation is estimated to be some US$124.5 million. As shown in Table 1, the largest allocation goes to Education (54%), followed by Water and Sanitation (24%), Health and Nutrition (14.7%), CEDC (7.1%) and promotion, advocacy and monitoring “First Call for Children” (0.1%).
The primary source of funding for these projects and programmes is expected to be the international donor community including IDB, World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF and PAHO/WHO. It is estimated that the Government will need to finance at least US$6.22 million over the five year period.
Assuming a 4.5 percent growth rate, the NPA costs are not only manageable within the framework of Guyana’s Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) but go fully to demonstrate Guyana’s support for UNDP’s 20/20 vision.
Table 2: NPA Lines of Action as a Percent of Projected GDP
1996 / 1997 / 1998 / 1999 / 2000Total Cost / 9.2 / 4.0 / 3.9 / 3.1 / 2.7
Source: National Plan of Action, 1995
II. Process Established for the End-Decade Report Preparation
UNICEF and the Government of Guyana have agreed to undertake to undertake a MICS survey. The MICS is expected to have a national coverage, with a sample of 4,800 households, in order to produce precise estimates for most of the indicators.
The objective of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) that will be executed in Guyana is to provide nation wide information based on an in-depth and up-to-date set of statistics on the health situation and well-being of children in Guyana, which can be used as input to the National Plan of Action.
The main objectives of MICS Guyana are:
· strengthen local-level program monitoring;
· satisfy national-level goal-monitoring needs;
· produce at a low cost rapid findings;
· ensure internationally comparable results.
The implementation structure comprises a Technical Committee and a MICS Co-ordinator. The role of the Technical Committee (TC) is to give technical support to the MICS Co-ordinator to prepare and implement a survey of high quality. The TC members are experts, covering all the technical aspects of the MICS and are expected to be available for the duration of the survey of approximately 6 months. The TC is generally accountable for his/her area of specializatiion, but also to participate to work group meetings and contribute the quality of the work done by other members. The TC work include:
Review of country social statistics Listing of equipment needed
Questionnaire module selection Listing of the logistic and communication
Contribution to survey design needs
Contribution to finalizing MICS time frame Carry out the survey cost frame
Adapting and reformatting the questionnaire Preparation and implementation of pilot survey Supervision of interviewers work
Recruitment and training of interviewers Analyzing and drawing pilot survey’