New Zealand's child poverty rate is one of the highest in the developed world and the Government is not doing enough to address the problem, advocates say.
Head of the Paedeatric Department at Auckland's School of Medicine, Professor Innes Asher, said beneficiaries' incomes have not kept up with the rising cost of living, leaving some without enough money to properly care for their children.
More than 3000 children are hospitalised with pneumonia each year, costing the taxpayer more than 5 million dollars, according to the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation in New Zealand.
The number of children being admitted to hospital with preventable respiratory illnesses is higher than ever before, she said. Some parents were avoiding taking their children to the doctor because fuel, medicine and after-hours visits cost too much.
"So they delay it. Something that starts off mild gets more serious," Professor Innes said.
New Zealand children are seven times more likely to suffer from bronchiectasis, a form of lung damage, than children in Finland, she said.
She said the rate of bronchiectasis in children of European descent is three times higher than in Finland.
"We think a comprehensive approach is required by the Government to address the preventable diseases in New Zealand. One of the things is family incomes - having enough money to care for the basic needs of the children," she said.
According to an international report published by the United Nations Children's Fund last month, one sixth of New Zealand children are being raised in poverty, and New Zealand has one of the highest rates of infant mortality in the developed world.
Save the Children New Zealand programme manager Ariana Paretutanganui-Tamati said the rising interest rates and inflation were also taking their toll on poorer families.
"It means rising food prices, while we export less because the New Zealand dollar is weaker internationally so we can't compete."
She said the Government's pledge to put $446 million into essential services for children and families over the next four years should help make some difference.
"Poverty is strongly related to the economy," she said.
Many families are struggling to provide for their children, she said. "The majority of parents need to have two incomes coming in. The cost of childcare is really high."
She said Maori, Pacific Island and migrant families are more likely to live in poverty than other groups in New Zealand, and more likely to suffer from preventable diseases.
Ms Paretutanganui-Tamati said inadequate, overcrowded and damp housing were compounding children's health issues. She commended the Government's plans to put $9.4 million into a shared-equity housing scheme and to insulate 21,000 state houses in the next five years, but said more action is needed.
"There is not enough there for children living in families that are dependent on the state. I would like to see more affordable housing."
She said a "disproportionate" number of Maori and Pacific Island families are reliant on the state.
She said she approved of providing fruit to decile two schools and an extension of the HeHa healthy eating, healthy action programme to reduce diabetes and obesity in schools announced in the budget.
According to a report released by the Child Poverty Action Group last month, between 2000 and 2004 the number of children in severe and significant hardship increased by a third, to 26 percent.
The report estimated that there were 185,000 children with parents on the benefit living in hardship in 2004, and 150,000 of them were living in severe hardship.
Smoking
Ms Paretutanganui-Tamati said the smoking habits of some parents was damaging the health of their children.
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand estimates that exposure to smoking causes the deaths of 50 children each year in New Zealand and 15,000 episodes of asthma.
The Government is investing an additional $32 million in smoking cessation programs over the next four years, adding to the $43.6 million already earmarked.
Ms Paretutanganui-Tamati said smoking is more prevalent in families on lower incomes, particularly Maori, she said.
Feeds