Papua New Guinea's undocumented children face 'perfect storm of vulnerability'

trafficking

Just 15% of children in PNG have their birth registered. Without a birth certificate, _____ and exploitation are far easier

exploited

When 11-year-old Mary's mother remarried after her husband's death, Mary was left in the care of an aunt who ____ her.

illiterate

Her aunt sent Mary out on to the streets of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea's capital, to sell small goods and forced her to slave at domestic work around the house. Mary has never been to school and is _____.

enter

Mary recently arrived at Life PNG Care, a children's welfare non-profit organisation with a care centre based in Gerehu in the city centre, which helps children with food and shelter. She will be home schooled until she is ready to_____ formal education.

worldwide

The PNG government estimates that just 15% of children in the country have had their births officially registered. This compares to 75% of births _____ and 88% in neighbouring Solomon Islands.

Cracks

One of the reasons Mary slipped through the ____ until now is that she, like most children in PNG, has no official identity.

birth certificates

Without this documentation, exploitation and trafficking are far easier."We are currently looking after about 45 children," said Collin Pake, founder and director of Life PNG Care. "But we have done our own surveys in Port Moresby and we estimate there are about 20,000 homeless children in the city. About 70% of the children in our care don't have ______ ______ and don't know their birth dates. When we ask what their age is, they just guess.

compounded with

This creates a perfect storm for children's vulnerability when _____ _____ widespread poverty, growing squatter settlements in urban areas, large numbers of people living in one household, parents neglecting their children and peer pressure.

hazardous, commercial

The organisation reported that 68% of children surveyed were in _____ work, 43% were in _____ sex work and 47% had never been to school.

anecdotal

Of the 40% of births that occur in health facilities, our_____ evidence is that less than 10% of parents go to the registry office to register the birth of their child.

mandatory

It's not made clear to parents and families that birth registration is ______ and, with 80% of the population living in rural or remote communities, many face difficulties in reaching the nearest government station to register a new birth.

dysfunctional

However, PNG's civil registry office has also been ineffective for years. It was assessed as " ______" by leading regional group SPC in 2014.

overstretched, tuberculosis

Two years ago, the government launched a national action plan and aims to train and resource health staff and services to boost registration. It's a huge challenge given the country's _____ health system - already coping with the pandemic and disease burdens, such as ______ and diabetes, and weak reach into distant provincial areas.

eliminated, disseminated

Lister emphasised that, among a raft of measures needed, registration should be made easier, especially for rural families and the illiterate, fees _____ and information about how and why obtaining a birth certificate is important ________ throughout the country.