One billion children are victims of violence every year, according to WHO

About 1 billion children are physically, sexually or psychologically abused worldwide each year. One child dies every five minutes from violence. This data was published by the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.

According to WHO, childhood violence can lead to serious consequences for physical and mental health, which often persist throughout life. Most of these cases and related deaths are preventable.

Special attention was paid to the situation in Pakistan, where about 120 million children live. According to the organization, about 80% of minors in the country face violent methods of upbringing. Among 12-17 year olds who use the Internet, one in sixteen are exploited or abused using digital technologies.

Another 8.6 million children in Pakistan are involved in child labour. In addition, more than 57% of children under the age of five are not registered with government agencies. The absence of official documents makes it difficult to obtain the necessary assistance and increases the risk of exploitation.

Against this background, the Pakistani authorities, together with WHO, have developed the first national strategy to combat violence against children for 2026-2031. The document was presented on October 14 in Islamabad. It provides for strengthening crime prevention, protection of minors, assistance to victims and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Special attention will be paid to children of migrants and internally displaced persons, who are more likely to face exploitation, trafficking, forced marriages and other forms of violence.

Lo Dapen, the WHO representative in Pakistan, said the organization would continue to support the country's authorities in implementing child protection measures. Combating violence requires concerted work by state agencies, law enforcement agencies and social services.

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