Save the Children Malawi has advised the country to not look at statistics of children meeting various challenges as just mere numbers but something that could affect their own children.

Save the Children communications officer, Lawrent Kumchenga said the fact that over 50 percent of girls get married before the age of 18 in the country and that at least 29 % of the girls get pregnant before that age, is worrying.

Kumchenga made the call during a media engagement meeting on child rights by the NGO Coalition on Child Rights in Mzuzu.

He said people should learn to take these things personal and not just some figures cooked up somewhere.
Apart from these abuses, statistics also show that 37% of children in the country are stunted.

It shows that girls and those with special needs are the ones at a high risk of abuse.

Currently, 94 % of schools in Malawi do not have a special needs teacher, which means they are already disadvantaged.

However, NGO Coalition on Child Rights chairperson, Desmond Mhango hailed the police for an advanced child protection policy even in the absence of enough man power.

He said the strategies and policies are there and what is needed is political will and intentionality.
Mhango has since called on the media to do their part and dig deeper in its reporting and not just do the bare minimum.

He said unless a child is given attention at an early age, the country cannot achieve the future it needs.