Dirty Water Stops Pacific Kids Learning

Contaminated water in some parts of the Pacific is a major contributor to diseases like diarrhoea. In children this is leading to preventable dehydration, malnutrition, hospitalisation and even death.

"Access to clean water is a basic human right, yet many communities (in Kiribati and the Solomon Islands for example), lack sufficient access. When children are getting sick regularly, they miss out on so much school, it's hard for them to catch up or complete their education," says ChildFund CEO Josie Pagani.

"Investing in literacy and human capital is fundamental. There is little value in investing in trade and economic development initiatives if the general population is not healthy or skilled enough to read, write and innovate."

"At ChildFund New Zealand we want to help remove the barriers that get in the way of a child's education in the Pacific. That's how we contribute to the Pacific's own development goals. It's how New Zealanders can help power the Pacific into a future where its people are not dependent on aid or charities like ours."

The Pacific Community's PILNA (Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment) reports on literacy and numeracy rates in the region, and show that while there has been some improvement in numeracy, literacy rates are still well below acceptable rates.

"There are many reasons for this, including lack of teaching resources, teacher training, and digital connectivity. But contaminated water is making too many kids sick too often. It's an entirely preventable problem that can fixed cheaply - and fixed now."

Almost half of Year 4 and 6 students at primary school are not meeting minimum proficiency levels in reading. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds are at even greater risk of lower learning outcomes.

Only half of children in Year 4 are at the Pacific literacy benchmark for their grade, compared to around 95% of students in OECD countries, for example. In areas in remote Pacific islands with higher rates of poverty, the number is much higher.

"It is unacceptable in 2024 that 1 in 10 deaths for children under 5 years in parts of the Pacific is linked to diarrhoea, vomiting and dirty water. And its unacceptable that too many children miss school, or are unable to benefit from their schooling because of sickness related to contaminated water.

"This is a problem that is fixable. Help us fix it," says CEO of ChildFund Josie Pagani.

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