[UK] Child poverty still high

from The Express and Star

Health bosses are pledging to work harder for Walsall after the latest figures show child poverty here is still worse than in other Midlands areas.

The University of Birmingham report presented to Walsall teaching Primary Care Trust (tPCT) shows key health data for the borough and the wider West Midlands between 2004 and 2005.

Dr Sam Ramaiah, Walsall's director of public health, said: "The report does set a benchmark as to where Walsall is in relation to many other districts in the West Midlands.

"There are some good improvements and there are key areas where we need to work more."

Some of the worst statistics were to do with child poverty, which was measured by seven factors including low birth weight.

It defined 10.51 per cent of babies born in the borough as being of low birth weight, well above the national average of eight per cent and considerably higher than the regional average of 9.06 per cent.

It makes Walsall the third worst area in the region, just behind Sandwell and Birmingham.

Dr Ramaiah said: "It is progress, but it's still very high. Having said that, if you look at infant mortality we have a very good rate in Walsall."

Another factor used to measure child poverty in the report was educational achievement, the proportion of children gaining five GCSEs at A to C level is currently at 53.7 per cent nationally.

However, just 43.5 per cent of teenagers in Walsall get these grades, making the borough almost the worst place in the West Midlands for educational achievement - just behind Sandwell.

But in other indicators, Walsall shows signs of progress. It has the third lowest number of school exclusions in the region and young-person suicide rates which are below the regional average.

And despite the teen pregnancy rate in the borough being way above the national average of 42.06 at 59.41, it is still a massive improvement on previous years.

Dr Ramaiah also used the report's findings about mumps, currently at an all-time high, to urge parents to immunise their children.

"Many people think mumps has disappeared. This is an opportunity to plead with parents to get their children immunised," he said.