SITUATION OF CHILDREN IN PERU - Home page | … Executive summary Early childhood is a fundamental stage in the growth1 and development2 of all human beings. Growth and development

SITUATION OF CHILDREN IN PERUEXECUTIvE SUMMARY

Situation of Children in Peru. Executive Summary

© United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)Parque Melitón Porras 350, Miraflores, Lima – PeruPhone: 2130707 / Fax: 4470370Web page: www.unicef.org/peru

© Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI)General Garzón 654 – 658, Jesús María, Lima – PeruPhone: 4334223 / Fax: 4311340Web page: www.inei.gob.pe

Placed in Legal Deposit with the Biblioteca Nacional del Perú No. 2008-06626First edition1,000 copiesLima, June 2008Printed in Tarea Asociación Gráfica Educativa

Cover photo:UNICEF/PERA/2006/OuvrardBack cover photo: UNICEF/PERA-9143

Maps of Peru and its departments:INsTITUTO NACIONAL DE EsTADísTICA E INFORMáTICADirección Nacional de Censos y EncuestasDirección Ejecutiva de Cartografía y Geografía

Design and diagramming: Gisella Scheuch

This document may be copied and cited – totally or partially, as long as the source is mentioned. Please send us a copy of any document, article or other publication that cites this publication.

INDEX

INTRODUCTION ...................................................... 1

SITUATION OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS ............................................. 2

EARLY CHILDHOOD (FROM CONCEPTION THROUGH 5 YEARS) ........................ 4

CHILDHOOD (FROM 6 TO 11 YEARS) ................................................ 10

ADOLESCENCE(FROM 12 TO 17 YEARS) .............................................. 15

TABLES

Indicators of the situation of childrenand adolescents by life cycle ............................................ 3

Summary of departmental indicators ................................ 21

Situation of Children in Peru 1

Peru has made important steps towards increasing norms, policies and programmes that promote and protect the rights of children. However, because Peru is a country with great cultural, ethnic, linguistic, socio-economic and geographic diversity, national averages tend to hide the real situation of inequity in which many children and adolescents live. Because of this, it is necessary to have disaggregated information, particularly in regards to different regions of the country.

It is in this context that the study entitled Situation of Children in Peru has been prepared. This document aims to better inform policy makers and the public about the situation of Peruvian children and adolescents at the national, regional and local levels. Further, it aims to contribute to the formulation of public policies to better fulfil the rights of all children and adolescents in Peru.

This study presents analytical information about Peruvian young people by stages in their life cycle: early childhood (from conception through 5 years); childhood (ages 6 to 11 years) and adolescence (ages 12 and 17 years). Each of the stages includes:

a) The Child Development Index (CDI), which shows the processes that limit or empower the integral development of children and adolescents, including the dimensions of (1) health and nutrition; (2) learning and education; and (3) environment and the protection of rights.

b) Information on indicators for children and adolescents, disaggregated by geographic regions, areas of residence, socio-economic levels, maternal language and gender.

This study also addresses the situation of children and adolescents by regions, with information disaggregated at the provincial level in order to show the existing differences within each region. The following text provides a summary of the main aspects of the study entitled Situation of Children in Peru.

INTRODUCTION

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Executive summary2

Peru’s total population currently exceeds 28 million people. 38% of the total population is comprised of children and adolescents between 0 and 17 years (10,730,805), and around 60% of this population live in conditions of poverty.

Population by age group National % of the total population

Total population 28,348,700 100.00Child and adolescent population 10,730,805 37.9 Children 0-5 3,585,977 12.7 Children 6-11 3,618,869 12.8 Adolescents 12-17 3,525,959 12.4

Population in Peru, by age group

source: Peru: Estimations and Projections of Population: Rural, Urban, Total per Calendar years and simple Ages 1970 – 2025. special Bulletin No. 15, July 2002 (INEI).

Children and adolescents constitute one of the most vulnerable sectors of the population. As shown in the following figure, children and adolescents are the group most affected by poverty. While 45% of Peru’s total population live in conditions of poverty, 60% of children between the ages of 0 and 5 years are poor, and 58% of children between the ages of 6 and 11 years are poor. In other words, the poverty rate for children is approximately 15 percentage points higher than the poverty rate for the overall population. The situation of children living in extreme poverty is also startling, with rates reaching 27% for children ages 0 to 5 years and 24% of children ages 6 and 11 years. This means that the rate of children in Peru living in extreme poverty are about 10 percentage points higher than the extreme poverty rate for the total population (16%).

The main indicators for the situation of children and adolescents in Peru are presented below by stages in their life cycle. The study includes disaggregated analysis based on the factors such as areas of residence, maternal language and regional differences – all contributing to the current inequality within the country.

Figure 1Rates of poverty and extreme poverty in children and adolescentsBy percentage

75

60

45

30

15

0

45

60 5852

16

2724

18

Poverty Extreme poverty

source: Based on ENAHO 2006, INEI.

Totalpopulation

Children0 to 5

Children6 to 11

Adolescents 12 to 17

SITUATION OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

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Indicators of the situation of children and adolescents, by life cycle

1a/ ENDEs 2004-2006 report, INEI.1b/ ENDEs 2004-2006 report, INEI. The information on infant and child mortality is based on reports from 5 years prior to the survey.1c/ ENDEs 2004-2006 report, INEI. 25% of these adolescents have heard of HIV/AIDs, but do not know ways of preventing it. 9% report never having heard of HIV/AIDs.2/ MONIN 2004, INs - CENAN.3/ Based on ENAHO 2006, INEI.4/ Based on ENCO 2006. The definition of “rural area” in ENCO 2006 is more restricted than the one in ENAHO 2006. (see Annex 1).5/ National student Achievement Evaluation 2004 – MED.6/ The national data include the results of students in state and non-state schools.7/ The urban/rural data only includes the results from students enrolled in state school.

Indicator National Urban Rural

Early childhood (from conception to 5 years)

Prenatal care by health professionals1a/ 91 % 97 % 83 %

Birth attended by health professionals1a/ 71 % 92 % 45 %

Infant mortality (per thousand live births)1b/ 21 17 27

Mortality in children under five years (per thousand live births)1b/ 29 22 39

Chronic malnutrition rate in children under 5 years2/ 27 % 18 % 33 %

Proportion of children under 5 years with anaemia2/ 50 % 47 % 54 %

Rate of attendance in preschool for children ages 3 to 5 years3/ 67 % 76 % 56 %

Proportion of children between one month and 5 years lacking birth certificates4/ 7 % 5 % 10 %

Childhood (ages 6 to 11 years)

Proportion of children ages 10 to 14 years with anaemia2/ 32 % 27 % 35 %

Net enrolment of primary education in children ages 6 to 11 years3/ 93 % 94 % 92 %

Percentage of children ages 6 to 11 years enrolled in a grade that does not correspond to their age3/ 23 % 15 % 34 %

Proportion of 6th grade children with mathematic skills below the basic level for their corresponding grade5/ 58 %6/ 55 %7/ 83 %7/

Proportion of 6th grade children with communication skills below the basic level for their corresponding grade5/ 60 %6/ 56 %7/ 86 %7/

Rate of children ages 6 to 11 years that work and study3/ 18 % 5 % 35 %

Adolescence (ages 12 to 17 years)

Anaemia in adolescents ages 15 to 19 years2/ 35 % 31 % 39 %

Percentage of adolescents ages 15 to 19 years that do not know how to prevent the HIV/AIDs virus1c/ 34 %

Net secondary education enrolment in adolescents between ages 12 and 16 years3/ 73 % 84 % 56 %

Percentage of adolescents between 12 and 16 years enrolled in a grade that does not correspond to their age3/ 41 % 30 % 60 %

Proportion of adolescents in 5th grade of secondary school with mathematic skills below the basic level for their corresponding grade5/ 86 %6/ 92 %7/ 98 %7/

Proportion of adolescents in 11th grade with communication skills below the basic level for their corresponding grade5/ 45 %6/ 48 %7/ 74 %7/

Proportion of adolescents between ages 14 and 17 years who work when school is in session3/ 50 % 32 % 80 %

Proportion of female adolescents between ages 15 and 20 years that have experienced early maternity and childbirth4/ 13 % 10 % 20 %

Executive summary4

Early childhood is a fundamental stage in the growth1 and development2 of all human beings. Growth and development are interdependent, and the most critical stage occurs between conception and the first years of life – a period when the brain is formed and develops at its fastest rate. If the adequate development of the brain is altered during this period, it will produce consequences that affect the child throughout his or her life.

1 “Growth” refers to the body height and weight and organs.2 Development has to do with the programming and maturation of brain functions.

EARLY CHILDHOOD (FROM CONCEPTION TO 5 YEARS)

In recent years, Peru has made important advances towards improving the health situation for those in early childhood. According to the Demographic and Health survey (DHs), prenatal care and attended deliveries have significantly increased during the last decade, and infant and child mortality rates have greatly reduced.

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DHS 1996 DHS 2004-2006

Figure 2Births attended by health professionalsBy percentage

Source: Based on the DHS 1996 and DHS 2004-2006 reports, INEI.

National Urban Rural


Map 1

The Child Development Index for early childhood

Callao 0.85 Tumbes 0.82 Lima 0.81 Tacna 0.81 Ica 0.80 Moquegua 0.78 Arequipa 0.72 Lambayeque 0.66 Madre de Dios 0.63 Piura 0.62 Puno 0.60 Junín 0.60 La Libertad 0.59 Pasco 0.59 Ancash 0.59 san Martín 0.58 Ucayali 0.57 Amazonas 0.56 Apurímac 0.55 Loreto 0.55 Cusco 0.53 Ayacucho 0.49 Cajamarca 0.49 Huánuco 0.46 Huancavelica 0.42

Group 1: Greater or equal to 0.78

Group 2: 0.62 - 0.72

Group 3: 0.59 - 0.60

Group 4: 0.55 - 0.58

Group 5: Lower or equal to 0.53

source: Based on ENCO 2006, ENAHO 2006 and DHs 2004-2006 (INEI and MONIN 2004 of CENAN).

Region CDI Group

1

2

3

4

5

LORETO

PIURA

TUMBES

LAMBAYEQUE

CAJAMARCA

AMAZONAS

SANMARTÍN

LA LIBERTAD

ANCASHUCAYALI

MADRE DE DIOS

PUNO

TACNA

MOQUEGUA

AREQUIPA

CUSCO

APURÍMACAYACUCHOICA

HUANCAVELICA

JUNÍN

PASCO

HUÁNUCO

LIMA

CALLAO

Concerning the relative situation between regions in regards to childhood growth and development among children ages 0 to 5 years, it can be observed that Lima and Callao, as well as other coastal regions such as Ica, Tacna, Tumbes and Moquegua, are among the regions with the best relative performance in the CDI for early childhood. The Andean regions, such as Cusco, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Huánuco and Huancavelica are the regions with the weakest relative indicators.

Graph 3 shows that the central and southern sierra regions tend to fall into the last places on the Child Development Index (CDI) scale, which is consistent with their relative positions in terms of those living in poverty and extreme poverty.

Executive summary6

Nationally, the proportion of pregnant women who attended at least one prenatal check-up increased from 67% in 1996 to 91% in 2004-2006, and the deliveries attended by health professionals rose from 56% to 71% during the same period. However, the following graph shows that there are certain regions where around 60% of births are not attended by health professionals, such as Huancavelica (59%), Cajamarca (59%) and Amazonas (57%).

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Figure 3Births NOT attended by health professionals (doctor, midwife or nurse)Of the total number of births taking place between 2004 and 2006By percentage

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Source: Based on the DHS 2004-2006 report, INEI.

Huancavelica 59

Cajamarca 59

Amazonas 57

Loreto 56

Puno 53

Huánuco 49

Ancash 46

Cusco 41

La Libertad 36

Junín 33

San Martín 32

Ucayali 29

Ayacucho 27

Pasco 27

Apurímac 24

Piura 24

Lambayeque 21

Madre de Dios 18

Arequipa 17

Tumbes 9

Tacna 7

Moquegua 6

Lima 5

Ica 3

Callao 2

Perú 29Hua

ncav

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ajam

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Am

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Puno

Huá

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Anc

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Infant and child mortality rates decreased from 43 and 59 per thousand live births in 1996 to 21 and 29 per thousand in 2004-2006, respectively. This reduction has been primarily due to improvements in health services for those living in rural areas, which has notably reduced the long standing gap in child health indicators between urban and rural areas.

Despite these positive changes in the reduction of infant and child mortality rates, there still remain health discrepancies. Examples such as the high prevalence of chronic child malnutrition, insufficient attendance in preschool education, the proportion of children lacking birth certificates, and the high incidence of family violence, among others, all continue to be challenges for the country.

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Figure 4Infant MortalityDeaths occurring before the end of the first year of life, per thousand live births

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80

DHS 1996

Source: Based on the DHS 1996, DHS 2000 and DHS 2004-2006 reports, INEI. The reports cover the 5 years preceding the survey.

DHS 2000 DHS 2004-2006

National Urban Rural

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Executive summary8

At the regional level, chronic malnutrition and poverty rates have a certain statistical relationship, but are not always necessarily correlated3. In regions such as Lambayeque and Lima, there are more malnourished children between 0 and 5 years than there are children who are living in extreme poverty4. In other regions such as Huancavelica and Huánuco, however, there are children living in conditions of extreme poverty but who are not reported to be malnourished. Chronic malnutrition in Peru, therefore, appears to have other elements that condition it, as opposed to solely poverty rates.

Nationally, 67% of children between the ages of 3 and 5 years are currently attending preschool, however this statistic falls to 56% for children living in rural areas. These figures become even lower when using the indicator of continuous attendance in preschool education (from the age of three years)5, with 49% at the national level and only 36% for children living in rural areas.

3 The definition of extreme poverty used by the INEI is the inability to cover the cost of basic food needs for the family. Poverty refers to the household’s inability to cover the cost of basic food needs and other life-essential items like health services, children’s education, transportation, housing, footwear, and other items.4 In figure 5, the regions that have more malnourished children than children living in extreme poverty are ones where the extreme poverty rate is below the chronic malnutrition rate.5 The indicator for continued attendance in preschool education from the age of 3 years is used to determine effective insertion in early education and not solely for attendance at a given moment in time.

Chronic malnutrition among children under five years has remained relatively constant at a rate of approximately 25% for the past 10 years. The current government aims to reduce this percentage by at least 9 points by 2011. The seriousness of child malnutrition becomes evident upon observing regional differences, which shows that more than 30% of children between 0 and 5 years in 9 different regions suffer from chronic malnutrition. Huancavelica is the most alarming case, where almost half of the children living in the region are reported to be undernourished.

Huancavelica 49 88Huánuco 41 65Ayacucho 40 59Junín 39 23Lambayeque 39 18Cusco 38 35Cajamarca 36 42Apurímac 33 62La Libertad 32 35Pasco 30 42Puno 30 58Ucayali 30 32Ancash 26 31Loreto 25 44Piura 25 18Amazonas 23 28San Martín 21 26Madre de Dios 21 6Moquegua 20 6Arequipa 17 6Lima 16 4Ica 13 3Tumbes 12 1Tacna 9 5Perú 27 30

Figure 5Chronic malnutrition and extreme poverty in children ages 0 to 5 yearsBy percentage

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80

60

40

20

0

Source: Based on ENAHO 2006 (INEI) and the MONIN 2004 report (INS-CENAN).

Huanc

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Huánu

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Ayacu

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Junín

Lamba

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Cusco

Cajamar

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Apurím

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La Li

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Puno

Ucaya

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Loreto

Piura

Amazon

as

San Martín

Mad

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Moq

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Arequ

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Tumbe

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Tacn

a

Extreme povertyChronic malnutrition


In terms of domestic violence, 37% of mothers with children under five years old reported having suffered some kind of physical violence in the hands of their current or latest partner. As high as 11% of mothers with children under fiver years old reported having suffered physical aggression at least once during their pregnancy.

There are significant differences at the regional and provincial levels, regarding children’s right to identity and birth registration among children under 5 years of age. In the regions of Moquegua and Ancash, only 2% of children lack birth certificates, in contrast to Ucayali and Loreto where 27% and 26% do not have this document. The provinces with the greatest percentages of undocumented children are Atalaya (Ucayali) with 50% and Datem del Marañon (Loreto) with more than 60%.

Figure 6Provinces with the highest proportion of children lacking birth certificatesBetween 1 month and 5 years of ageBy percentage

Source: Based on the ENCO 2006, INEI.

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Executive summary10

CHILDHOOD (6 TO 11 YEARS)

During childhood, the dimensions of education and protection of children’s rights take on a greater relevance during development. It is a stage when the physical, intellectual, social and emotional capacities acquired in early childhood are consolidated. This does not mean that the aspects related to health and nutrition cease to be important, since a child needs adequate nutrition and health in order to be able to function in other areas. For example, several studies show that malnutrition and the deficit of micronutrients (iron, zinc, iodine and vitamin A) limit children’s capacity to learn, generating difficulties in the use of language, memory, concentration and overall classroom participation. In other words, child malnutrition negatively affects children’s school performance and abilities (CEPAL-UNICEF, 2006).

The main health problems of children in this age group are anaemia and malnutrition. At the national level, 32% of Peruvian children between the ages of 10 and 14 have anaemia, with significant differences at the regional and provincial levels. Pasco has the highest anaemia rate among children of this age, at 52%, followed by Puno at 49%, while san Martín and Lambayeque have lower anaemia rates of 12% and 14%, respectively.

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Tacna 0.88Callao 0.88 Lima 0.87 Moquegua 0.86 Arequipa 0.84 Ica 0.82 Tumbes 0.81 Lambayeque 0.78La Libertad 0.70 Junín 0.69 Madre de Dios 0.68 Piura 0.67 Ancash 0.67 Puno 0.67 San Martín 0.67 Cusco 0.63 Pasco 0.63 Amazonas 0.61 Ucayali 0.61 Loreto 0.60 Apurímac 0.60 Ayacucho 0.59 Cajamarca 0.56 Huánuco 0.55 Huancavelica 0.46

Region CDI Group

source: Based on ENCO 2006, ENAHO 2006 (INEI) and the Census of height among school children 2005, Ministry of Education.

5

4

3

2

1

Map 2

The Child Development Index for children

HUANCAVELICA

LORETO

PIURA

TUMBES

LAMBAYEQUE

CAJAMARCA

AMAZONAS

SANMARTÍN

LA LIBERTAD

ANCASHUCAYALI

MADRE DE DIOS

PUNO

TACNA

MOQUEGUA

AREQUIPA

CUSCO


JUNÍN

PASCO

HUÁNUCO

LIMA

CALLAO

As in the case among the indicators included in the Child Development Index (CDI) for early childhood, Lima, Callao, Tumbes, Moquegua, Tacna Ica, and Arequipa, stand out as the regions with the best relative performance. Among the regions with the weakest relative performance, again we find Huancavelica, Huánuco, Cajamarca, Ayacucho, Apurímac and Loreto.

The relative situation of the regions with regard to the development of children between the ages of 6 and 11 years is very similar to the development of children between the ages of 0 and 5 years. However, these figures differ in terms of relative regional performance in the sense that the CDIs for children coincides more strongly with the ranking of the environment and protection of rights, while in early childhood it coincides more with the dimensions of learning and education.


Group 2: 0.68 - 0.78

Group 3: 0.67 - 0.67

Group 4: 0.61 - 0.63


Executive summary12

Source: Census of height among school children 2005, Ministry of Education.

Figure 7Chronic malnutrition rate in children between ages 6 and 9 years, at the provincial levelBy percentage

46

48

50

52

54

56

58

60

62

64

Yarowilca(Huánuco)

Angaraes(Huancavelica)

Acobamba(Huancavelica)

Cotabambas(Apurímac)

Condorcanqui(Amazonas)

Churcampa(Huancavelica)

SánchezCarrión

(La Libertad)

Tayacaja(Huancavelica)

Dos de Mayo(Huánuco)

Huancabamba(Piura)

62

61

57

56 56

55

53 53 5352

Concerning chronic malnutrition among children between the ages of 6 and 9 years, Huancavelica is the region with the highest rate at 53%, which is more than double the national average of 22%. The region with the lowest rate of chronic malnutrition is Tacna, at only 4%. In the 10 provinces with the highest chronic malnutrition rates, values range from 52% to 62%, with the five provinces with the highest rates being Yarowilca (Huánuco) at 62%, Angaraes (Huancavelica) at 61%, Acobamba (Huancavelica) at 57%, and Cotabambas (Apurímac) and Condorcanqui (Amazonas) both at 56%.

6 Of the 7% of children ages 6-11 years not enrolled in primary school, 3% attend education at another level and 4% do not attend school.

One of the areas with the most advancement in terms of Peruvian education has been primary school enrolment coverage. At the national level, 93% of all children between 6 and 11 years attend primary school. However, 4% still do not go to school, which is equivalent to approximately 145,000 children6.

With regard to over-age enrolment, 23% of Peruvian children between ages 6 and 11 years are enrolled in lower grades than the one corresponding to their age. This percentage is almost twice as high among children whose maternal language is Quechua (43%) and native Amazonian languages (45%). For children who live in situations of extreme poverty, this figure rises to 42%.


Lima 38Tacna 40Moquegua 39Arequipa 38Ica 52Callao 43Madre de Dios 55La Libertad 57Lambayeque 54Tumbes 65Ancash 61Piura 61Junín 62Pasco 66Amazonas 84San Martín 73Huánuco 75Cajamarca 78Ucayali 80Huancavelica 81Puno 77Ayacucho 82Cusco 82Loreto 82Apurímac 85Perú 60

Figure 8Children in 6th grade of primary school grade with skills below the basic level for their corresponding gradeCOMMUNICATION SKILLSBy percentage

Source: Based on the National Student Achievement Evaluation 2004 – UMC/MED.

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Lima

Tacn

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Apurím

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Below more than one gradeBelow one grade Below one grade or more

In terms of school performance, 60% of sixth-grade primary school students are below the basic level for their corresponding grade in terms of communication skills, and 58% are below their grade in terms of mathematics. These figures vary greatly depending on regions: in Tacna 32% of students score below the basic level for their grade in math, as compared to 90% in Loreto. For communication skills, 38% of children living in Arequipa and Lima score below the basic reading comprehension level, as compared to 85% in Apurímac. Tacna, Moquegua, Lima, Callao and Arequipa are the regions with the best results in these areas, while children living in Apurímac, Cusco, Loreto, Ucayali and Ayacucho score the worst. The 4 regions with the greatest percentages of the population speaking native maternal languages are among the ones that have the lowest performance results.

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Executive summary14

With respect to child labour, at the national level in 2006 around 20% of Peruvian children between 6 and 11 years work, a figure that rises to almost 40% in rural areas. While 8% of children from non-poor families study and work, the percentage is 4 times higher among children living in situations of extreme poverty (32%).

With regard to water and sanitation services, the poorest regions tend to also be the ones with the lowest access to these services. In Loreto and Ucayali, 74% and 68% of children ages 0 to 11 years currently lack access to improved drinking water sources, respectively. 86% and 80% of children under 11 years in Huancavelica and Ucayali lack access to improved sanitation facilities. In contrast, in Tacna and Moquegua, only 8% and 9% lack access to improved water sources, and in Lima and Callao only 18% and 15% of children have no access to improved sanitation sources.

Figure 9Child labour by poverty levelBy percentage

Source: Based on the ENAHO 2006, by INEI. Reports for April through December.

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32

81

16

91

8

55

Study and do not work Study and work

Extremely poor Poor Non-poor

Figure 10Children between 0 and 11 years lacking access to improved sources of water or sanitationBy percentage

Source: Based on ENCO 2006, INEI.

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Loreto

Ucaya

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Have no improvedsanitation sources

Have no improvedwater source

Have no access to improvedsources of water or sanitation

Loreto 67 74 77

Ucayali 61 68 80

Pasco 54 65 68

Huánuco 52 57 71

Huancavelica 51 53 86

Cajamarca 49 53 77

Amazonas 48 55 71

Puno 48 50 69

Piura 38 41 65

San Martín 37 45 63

Madre de Dios 34 36 72

Junín 32 36 53

Cusco 32 36 57

Apurímac 30 34 68

La Libertad 28 32 52

Ayacucho 28 35 57

Tumbes 24 36 42

Lambayeque 23 32 36

Ancash 22 24 57

Arequipa 14 16 36

Ica 14 17 40

Callao 12 21 15

Lima 12 18 18

Moquegua 7 9 31

Tacna 7 8 22


The period of adolescence is one of life’s most complex transitions, surpassed only by early childhood considering rapid rates of growth and change. During this stage, adolescents define their personality, establish their emotional and psychological independence, learn to understand and experience their sexuality, and reflect on their role in society. The physical and emotional changes that take place in this period consolidate and often define the characteristics the adolescent will face during adulthood (UNICEF, 2002).

ADOLESCENTS (FROM 12 TO 17 YEARS)

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In Peru anaemia is a serious problem among adolescents as well as for younger generations. At the national level, anaemia affects 32% of young people ages 10 to 14 years, 35% ages 15 to 19 years and 39% of adolescents living in the rural area. The differences in the prevalence of anaemia among adolescents become more evident when we compare individual regions. san Martín is the region with the lowest rate of adolescents with anemia (20%), which is less than half the prevalence rate of anemia among adolescents who live in Pasco and Puno (50%).

Figure 11Anaemia in adolescents between ages 15 and 19 yearsBy percentage

Source: Based on MONIN 2004, CENAN.

0

15

30

45

60

Pasc

oPu

no

Huánu

co

Ucaya

li

Junín

Moq

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aLim

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Pasco 50Puno 50Huánuco 48Ucayali 44Junín 43Moquegua 40Lima 39Cajamarca 35Ancash 33Apurímac 33La Libertad 31Tacna 31Loreto 30Arequipa 29Amazonas 26Huancavelica 26Cusco 25Ica 24Piura 24Ayacucho 24Lambayeque 23Tumbes 22Madre de Dios 21San Martín 20Perú 35

Executive summary16

Map 3The Child Development Index for adolescents

Regions where the Child Development Index (CDI) for adolescents reflects the weakest performance are Huánuco, Cajamarca, Huancavelica, Loreto and Ayacucho. On the other hand, the ones with the best performance are Tacna, Arequipa, Tumbes and Ica.

The ranking of the CDI for adolescents is quite similar to the ranking of indicators in the educational dimension, and less similar to that of health and nutrition indicators. This fact contrasts with the children’s CDI, where the overall index ranking is more similar to the rankings of the environment and protection of rights.

LIMA

CALLAO

HUANCAVELICA

LORETO

PIURA

TUMBES

LAMBAYEQUE

CAJAMARCA

AMAZONAS

SANMARTÍN

LA LIBERTAD

ANCASHUCAYALI

MADRE DE DIOS

PUNO

TACNA

MOQUEGUA

AREQUIPA

CUSCO


JUNÍN

PASCO

HUÁNUCO


Group 2: 0.67 - 0.71

Group 3: 0.59 - 0.64

Group 4: 0.57 - 0.58


source: Based on ENCO 2006, ENAHO 2006 (INEI) and MONIN 2004 (CENAN).

Region CDI Group

Tacna 0.75 Arequipa 0.74 Tumbes 0.74 Ica 0.72 Moquegua 0.71 Lambayeque 0.70 Lima 0.70 Madre de Dios 0.69 Callao 0.67 Piura 0.64 Junín 0.64 La Libertad 0.64 Cusco 0.60 san Martín 0.59 Ancash 0.59 Ucayali 0.59 Apurímac 0.58 Pasco 0.58 Amazonas 0.57 Puno 0.57 Ayacucho 0.52 Loreto 0.52 Huancavelica 0.52 Cajamarca 0.51 Huánuco 0.48

5

1

2

3

4

5


There is a high incidence of young people in Peru between the ages of 20 and 29 years with HIV/AIDs. Once the HIV virus is transmitted, several years can pass before it is manifested as AIDs, so a significant proportion of these youths may have contracted the virus during adolescence. In this context, it is important to note that according to the DHs 2004-2006, 25% of young women between 15-19 years only know that HIV/AIDs exists, but are unaware of how to prevent infection. Almost 10% of this same population say they have never heard of HIV/AIDs. The enrolment rate of students in secondary education is significantly lower than that of primary school: 73% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 years are enrolled in secondary education. Of the other 27%, 14% are in primary school and 13% are not attending school. Again, wide gaps in secondary school attendance can be observed based on poverty levels and maternal language. While 84% of non-poor students are enrolled in secondary school, the attendance rate among students who live in households of extreme poverty is only 49%. 76% of adolescents with spanish as their maternal language are enrolled in secondary level, versus 43% of students whose maternal languages are Amazonian. These figures represent a challenge to increase secondary education opportunities at the levels of infrastructure, equipment and teacher training, especially for those students living in rural areas.

source: Based on the INEI’s ENAHO 2006. Reports for April through December.1/ Asterisks indicate imprecise indicators.* This indicator should be used with caution. Its relative standard error (RsE) is greater than 10% and less than 30%.

Net secondary coverage of adolescents between 12 and 16 years1/

Percentage of adolescents enrolled in secondary with respect to the total adolescent population

Secondary school enrolment

Poverty level Extremely poor 49 Poor 70 Non-poor 84 Total 73 Maternal language Spanish 76 Quechua 57 Aymara 72 *Other native languages 43 *Total 73

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Executive summary18

Adolescents 17 to 19 years of age and youths between 20 and 21 years that have finished secondary education1/

By percentage

source: Based on the INEI’s ENAHO 2006. 1/ Asterisks indicate imprecise indicators.* This indicator should be used with caution. Its relative standard error (RsE) is greater than 10% and less than 30%.

Adolescents 17 to 19 years Young people 20 to 21 years who completed secondary school who completed secondary school

Only 57% of all adolescents in Peru between the ages of 17 and 19 years have finished secondary education. While 62% of adolescents between the ages of 17 and 19 years with spanish as their maternal language have finished secondary education, only 25% of adolescents whose maternal language is Quechua have finished. In terms of poverty rates, 71% of non-poor adolescents have finished secondary education, as compared to 48% of young people living in poor households and 22% living in households of extreme poverty.

Mathematics test results of students in 11th grade are homogeneously not at the level they should be, with the percentage of students with tests results below the basic level ranging from 71% (Tacna) and 97% (Uycali and Puno). The low learning achievement is observed more seriously during secondary school. In Tacna and Moquegua, 32% and 33% of the students in the 6th grade, respectively, scored below what is considered basic level in mathematics. These figures increase to 71% and 83%, respectively, for students attending the 11th grade.

Among regions with more than 50% of their students below the basic level for communication skills, ranked Puno (78%), Huancavelica (73%), Apurímac (63%), Cuzco (56%) and Ayacucho (52%). These are the same regions that have the highest percentages of adolescents who speak maternal languages other than spanish. In the case of Huancavelica and Ayacucho, they also have greater problems with over-age enrolment.

Area of residence Urban 70 82 Rural 33 49 National 57 72 Poverty level Extremely poor 22 35 *Poor 48 61 Non-poor 71 85 Total 57 72 Maternal language Spanish 62 75 Quechua 25 * 52 Aymara 62 * 84 Other native languages 22 * 32 *Total 57 72Gender Women 59 73 Men 56 72 Total 57 72


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80

100

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Below one grade Below one grade or moreBelow more than one grade

Figure 12Adolescents in the 11th grade with skills below the basic level for their corresponding gradeMATHEMATICSBy percentage

Source: Based on the National Student Achievement Evaluation 2004 – UMC/MED.

Tacna 71Callao 80Moquegua 83Arequipa 79Junín 80Madre de Dios 92Lima 82La Libertad 86Pasco 82Lambayeque 87Cusco 88Ayacucho 87Piura 88Tumbes 90Amazonas 93Ancash 90Huánuco 89Cajamarca 91Apurímac 94Ica 93Huancavelica 93San Martín 97Loreto 95Puno 97Ucayali 97Perú 86

Figure 13Children and adolescents between ages 6 and 17 years who are enrolled in grades that do not correspond to their age by work situation1/

By percentage

Source: Based on ENAHO 2006, INEI. Reports April through December.1/ Over-age enrolment is defined as the ratio of students matriculated into a lower grade than expected for their age. In the case of a 17-year-old adolescents, this would mean not having completed secondary education. Work is defined based on module 200 of the ENAHO 2006 (in contrast to the data utilized for the analysis of work among adolescents between 14 and 17, in tables 44, 45a and 45b, which was possible to perform with detailed information from the employment module). For more information on the comparability of these reports, see Rodríguez and Vargas (2006).

0

20

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Work and are enrolled in grades that do not correspond to their age

Do not work and are enrolled in grades that do not correspond to their age

Executive summary20

0

10

20

30

40

50

ShipiboConibo(0.1%)

Aguaruna(0.2%)

Asháninka(0.3%)

Other native languages

(0.4%)

Aymara(1.2%)

Quechua(11%)

Spanish(86.6%)

Figure 14Adolescent mothers between ages 15 and 20 years, by maternal language1/

By percentage (of the total number of adolescent who share the same maternal language)

Source: Based on ENCO 2006, INEI.1/ Under each linguistic group is listed that group’s percentage amongst the total national population.

In Peru, 50% of adolescents between the ages 14 and 17 years work, a figure more than double the rate for children between the ages 6 and 11 years. Among adolescents that work there are significant differences based on residence: in urban areas 32% of adolescents work, compared with 80% who live in rural areas. In almost all regions, over-age enrolment for children between 6 and 17 years is greater for those who work than for children who only study. San Martín is the region with the greatest difference in the percentage of over-age enrolment between those who both work and study (82%) and those that only study (39%).

With regard to pregnancy among adolescents, 13% of Peruvian females between the ages of 15 and 20 years have given birth to at least one child – a figure that in regions like Loreto and Ucayali increases to 27% and 25%, respectively. Adolescent pregnancy is more common among women between the ages 15 of 20 years with native Amazonian maternal languages like Shipibo-Conibo, Aguaruna and Asháninka, as compared to adolescent women with Quechua, Aymara or Spanish as their maternal languages.

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SITUATION OF CHILDREN IN PERU - Home page | … Executive summary Early childhood is a fundamental stage in the growth1 and development2 of all human beings. Growth and development

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