The head of one of Northland's largest health agencies says child poverty is the number one issue facing the region. Eighty-five per cent of Northland's children are born to families in the lower half of the socio-economic scale and half of those are born into the 20 per cent at thevery bottom of that scale. "The link between poverty and the health of our children cannot continue to be ignored," said Chris Farrelly, head of Manaia Primary Health Organisation. "A child growing up in poverty is three times more likely to be sick." Mr Farrelly welcomed a Children's Commissioner report that urged the Government to adopt a plan of action to end child poverty. The new report, called A Fair Go for All Children, found that nearly one in every five children in New Zealand, or 22 per cent, live in poverty. Northland's figure is roughly double that. More than 20 per cent of the region's children and young people live in over-crowded homes, compared with 16.5 per cent nationally. Manaia Health promotion adviser Ngaire Rae said the report confirmed the organisation's own local statistics. "Recent information gained from the Salvation Army shows that food bank usage has doubled in the last year, the Whangarei Emergency Housing Trust turns away about 12 people each week they are so full, and Housing New Zealand has a waiting list of 580." Meanwhile, Manaia Health was taking action to overcome some health disadvantages facing poor children. The organisation had been involved in a programme to make low-income homes warmer. As well as ensuring free visits to doctors for all under 6-year-olds, the PHO was about to introduce full health checks for all pre-schoolers. Ms Rae said one of the clearest findings in the report was that most of the differences between child poverty levels in western countries could be accounted for by Government policy. The report defined poverty as households with incomes below the 60 per cent median income line, or one adult and one child living on $430 a week before housing costs.
