1. UNICEF South Africa Country Programme and Advocacy processes

2. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Introductory Remarks
Achievements of Social Development sector
Promulgation of Children’s Act no 38 of 2005
More than 7 million CSG recipients
Establishment of SASSA
The challenges to deal with Poverty, AIDS and Crime
Importance of Parliament’s oversight role
UNICEFs commitment to provide ongoing support and intention to have a full time presence at Parliament
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

3. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
SA economy is booming, wellbeing indicators are not
MMR
U5MR e0
U5MR increased from 60 in 1990 to 67 in % due to AIDS; 60% due to non-AIDS-related causes
29.5% HIV prevalence among pregnant women at ANC
HIV prevalence among teenage girls 4x higher than boys
Over 1,000,000 children not in school
Approximately 2.5 million orphans
40% of reported rapes are against children (55,000 total annually)
Source: MDG Report for South Africa, Stats SA: Gross Domestic Product (P0441); Mid-Year Population Estimates 2005
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

4. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Programme Structure
Basic Social Services
HIV and AIDS
Social Policy and Local Governance
Communication, External Relations, and Partnerships
Basic Social Services – NGOs and Government have taken up the work in this area but the focus now needs to be on service delivery that is effective and efficient – not just on getting services moving.
HIV/AIDS – the Government’s Comprehensive Plan now assures ARV treatment and the GOSA has asked UNICEF to help create an Accelerated Action Plan for Pediatric AIDS.
SPLG – this programme has been revamped to focus on budget analysis, parliamentary advocacy and social policy and delivery systems.
Communications – a new aspect of this programme addresses private sector fundraising.
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

5. ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN
Education & Adolescent Development
Health & Nutrition
Child
Protection
Advocacy & Strategic Leveraging
Advocacy for Children’s Rights
Protection against violence
Basic Education
Child Survival
Social Protection / Safety Nets
Adolescent development
Nutrition
Leveraging Funds
Early Childhood Development
Monitoring for Impact
Programme Communication
Environment for full realisation of OVC rights:
Leveraging resources for first call for children
Partnerships for realization of child rights
Four programmes:
Social Transformation and Strategic Leveraging
Health and nutrition
Education
Child protection
Strategic Approach:
National advocacy campaign for first call for children though social mobilisation and communication
Leverage national resources to deliver scaled-up, evidence-based services
Identification of multiplier-effect interventions
Identification of bottlenecks to implementation of legislation and service delivery
Recruit high-caliber staff who can galvanize thinking and scale-up for children.
Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation
External Relations
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

6. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Child Survival and Nutrition
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

7. Morbidity and Mortality Profile of Children in South Africa
60% of all children are ill or are dying from preventable causes namely:
diarrhoeal disease (10-15%),
respiratory infections (7%),
low birth weight (6%) and
protein energy malnutrition (5 to 10%).
40% of all illnesses and death are attributable to HIV and AIDS.
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

8. Our response to address this:
Accelerated implementation of community IMCI,
Support health workers to identify and provide care for vulnerable neonates and support family care of these children post-discharge.
Early detection of growth faltering at community level
Implementation and scaling up of the Basic Antenatal Care Package,
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

9. Impact of HIV and AIDS in South Africa
Approximately 5,7 million people infected
3.3 million women and 104,863 babies infected
29,5% infection rate among women visiting antenatal clinics
Greatest killer of under 5 children = AIDS (40%)
Almost 300,000 babies born to HIV+ mothers a year
Between 55,000 and 82,000 children in need of ARV, only 5,000 receiving ARV
1 million births per year
→29% infection rate amongst women attending antenatal clinics
→290,000 HIV+ mothers
→30% of babies born to HIV+ mothers will contract HI virus
→50% of HIV+ babies will die before 2 years of age
SOURCES
Approximately 6.29 million people infected (2004 DoH Antenatal survey)
3.3 million women and 104,863 babies infected (2004 DoH Antenatal survey)
29,5% infection rate among women visiting antenatal clinics (2004 DoH Antenatal survey)
Greatest killer of under 5 children = AIDS (40%) (MRC)
Almost 300,000 babies born to HIV+ mothers a year (Health Systems Trust)
Between 55,000 and 82,000 children in need of ARV, only 5,000 receiving ARV (MRC)
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

10. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
5 Key Strategies
Early diagnosis and testing of infants
Streamlining health systems to maximise staff capacity to treat HIV+ infants
Scaling up PMTCT+ to prevent children from contracting HIV
Targeted infant care
Supporting Safety Net Systems for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs)
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

11. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Early diagnosis & testing
Few newborn & older babies are being tested resulting in poor early diagnosis.
Laboratory tests during first months of life are expensive, involve complex technology.
Plans for 2006:
Increase the number of infants tested for HIV from 30,000 to at least 120,000.
UNICEF Action
Purchase additional laboratory instruments, staff and building space to dramatically scale up the number of children tested for HIV in the short term.
Automate current PCR technology
Train personnel in10 hospital and 40 primary health care clinics to utilize new methods of testing infants using a mobile clinical team
Commission study to explore pyscho-social and community aspects of diagnosis of HIV in children on program staff, mothers and children.
Help simplify testing and diagnostic technology
Roll out the new technology as rapidly as possible in South Africa and other countries
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

12. Expanding access to ARVs for children
ART accredited treatment sites in all 53 health districts of South Africa, relatively few of these provide care for infants and children
Theoretical and practical training insufficient
Human resource constraints
Plans for 2006:
Double number of children receiving ARVs from 8,500 to 17,000
UNICEF Action:
Form national network of experienced paediatric HIV sites/units to provide clinical & systems support to less capacitated areas;
Define geographical areas of responsibility in which sites/units will provide support to avoid duplication & areas unsupported by any unit/site;
Employ, train, supervise & coordinate multi-disciplinary mobile outreach teams that provide on the job training to secondary and primary health centers providing ART
Develop district based learning collaboration to improve referral networks and to co-ordinate paediatric HIV care & prevention within health districts.
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

13. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Child protection
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

14. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Care and support for OVC
Deaths in age group tripled in 10 years
1.8 million children lost a parent to AIDS, millions more are living in households in which one or more person is ill, dying or deceased.
Child support grant up to age 14 anticipated to reach 11 million South Africans
Key results in 2005:
National Plan of Action for OVC 2006 – 2008
Development of database for OVC -research
Training manuals developed to create safety nets and child care forums for OVC
ECD sites piloted as nodes of care and support for village workers supporting OVC in Nkandla.
Cabinet approved extension of the means tested Child support grant beyond the age of 7
UNICEF ACTION:
Support provincial Dept. of Social Development to establish municipal-level OVC registers & maps of services → ensure OVCs receive health & education services, social grants & early childhood development.
Commission statistical analysis & map of census & electoral data to portray density of orphans by district.
Commission study of data sources → info about OVCs at local level to inform local, provincial or national-level database.
Analyse child support grants to identify where efficiency can be improved → reaching more children with existing resources.
SOURCES:
National Dept of Social Development
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

15. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Care and support for OVC
We have to ensure that OVC have access to
Education
Health services
Social Grants
Care and support
Cabinet approved extension of the means tested Child support grant beyond the age of 7
UNICEF ACTION:
Support provincial Dept. of Social Development to establish municipal-level OVC registers & maps of services → ensure OVCs receive health & education services, social grants & early childhood development.
Commission statistical analysis & map of census & electoral data to portray density of orphans by district.
Commission study of data sources → info about OVCs at local level to inform local, provincial or national-level database.
Analyse child support grants to identify where efficiency can be improved → reaching more children with existing resources.
SOURCES:
National Dept of Social Development
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

16. National: Policies & legislation
Provincial: Budget allocations and services
Municipalities: Plans and programmes for Children
Communities: Child Care Forums
Families: Training and Care
Children – orphaned and vulnerable

17. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Plans for 2006
Support implementation of National Action Plan
Complete establishment of OVC database
Complete pilot study of ECD sites as nodes of care and support
Scaling up of child care forums and safety networks
Develop and finalise national primary caregiver training programme
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

18. Violence against women and children
Latest SAPS Crime Statistics 2004/2005:
More than 360,000 women and children murdered, raped, assaulted, sexually molested or abused
40% of 55,114 rapes were against children
47.7% (4,829) of all indecent assault cases were children.
31,607 children victims of common assault
24,189 children victims of assault to commit grievous bodily harm
Most rapes still go unreported
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

19. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Plans for 2006
Drafting legal discussion paper on trafficking in preparation for draft bill
Costing of National Policy Framework and Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Child Abuse and Neglect and use it to advocate for resource allocation
Study on violence against children under 12 years
Situation analysis of children living in streets, in residential care, without rights and trafficked children.
Develop community-based systems to report and monitor child protection abuses
Roll out child protection models in 3 municipalities
Train 3,000 health workers, social workers & police on prevention & management of child abuse
Scale up services through Thuthuzela Care Centres
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

20. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Education and Adolescent
Development
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

21. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Situation of children
Primary net enrolment ratio (7 – 13 years) increased from 88% in 1996 to 96% in 2004
Fundamental challenge – provision of quality education
1 million children out of school
School retention: only 65% reach Grade 5
Only 16 % (Birth to 5 years) have access to formal ECD
Violence and insecurity major concern
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

22. Early Childhood Development
Key results for 2005:
Support GoSA in development of operations plan for implementing Integrated Plan on ECD
Technical advise on development of paper for operationalisation of Plan to create 15,300 ECD learnerships
Planned for 2006:
Development & finalisation of national primary caregiver training programme for babies & young children
Development of models of care for children under 5 and their caregivers
Development of ECD centres as nodes of care and support for OVC
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

23. A Child-friendly school:
safe and protective environment for children
healthy spaces to learn and grow
access to clean water & sanitation
gender sensitive
strong links to the surrounding communities, and
outreach services for orphans and other vulnerable children.
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

24. A Child-friendly school:
Provision of quality education for all children means
Quality School buildings, structures and equipment
Quality Teachers and teaching practices
Quality Management and governance practices
Supporting the establishment of an independent national M&E unit
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

25. Adolescent Development
Key results 2005:
Capacity development on youth leadership continued for youth, educators, school governing bodies, traditional leaders & community members
Fatherhood project and reduction of gender-based violence
80 Educators in Eastern Cape & KZN trained on creative facilitation & participation for lifeskills education
Planned for 2006:
Strengthening implementation & evaluation of lifeskills programmes for adolescents – national & provincial
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

26. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Social Policy and Local Governance
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

27. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Situation of children
More than 11 million children live in poverty – yet annually in some departments millions are returned unspent
Comprehensive policies & legislation: weak implementation & management result in poor service delivery
SPLG aims to strengthen Government’s ability to plan, budget and put systems in place to provide more equitable, effective and efficient services, with focus on the most vulnerable children and women.
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

28. Social Policy and Local Governance
Key results 2005:
Technical support in finalising Children’s Bill and National Child Abuse Strategy
Technical support in finalising Support 2 local municipalities to develop and implement Local Plans of Action for Children (LPA)
On line birth registration project taken over by GovSA rolled out to 68 hospitals
Conceptual framework developed for Stats SA for stronger monitoring systems for birth registration.
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

29. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
THE CHALLENGE TO PARLIAMENT IN ADVOCACY AND ACTION FOR CHILDREN
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

30. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Advocacy and action
Liaising with the Justice Portfolio Committee to fast-track the finalization of the Child Justice Bill and Sexual Offences Bill
Oversee allocations for services to children and related spending patterns
A national system of identifying and tracking orphans and vulnerable children at local, district and provincial levels
Advocate for the increased of access of children, particularly 3 and 4 year-olds, to formal ECD by targeting for example the EPWP sources
Extending the child support grant to children aged years
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

31. Advocacy and action Review Social Assistance Act
Finalise Sexual Offences Bill
Finalise Child Justice Bill
Finalise Children’s Amendment Bill
Advocacy for
Children in
Parliament
Advocacy Document to support the oversight
responsibilities of parliamentarians
Analyzing State of Nation and Budget Speeches
to advocate for children
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

32. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Plans for 2007
Plan to establish office in Cape Town by January 2007
Want to be of support to SD Portfolio Committee – Members will have to indicate areas where support is required
Resource leveraging: study to analyse use of government funds for children at national, provincial & local levels - recommendations for annual budget prioritisation and planning
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA

33. COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA
Thank you
COUNTRY PROGRAMME: UNICEF SOUTH AFRICA