Well-being rating: in which countries do children have a future
International experts (WHO, UNICEF and The Lancet magazine) compared the living conditions of children and adolescents all over the world and came to the conclusion that protection of children's health and their future is not provided anywhere at the proper level. This study covered 180 countries and was based on such parameters as the level of child survival and child well-being, education and nutrition, income level and the state of the environment. According to this rating, in the north of Europe, children and adolescents have the most favorable living conditions and the greatest chances of prosperity. Norway, South Korea and the Netherlands lead the ranking. Among the EAEU countries, Kazakhstan is on the 2nd place, behind Belarus (35th place) and ahead of Russia (79th place). Researchers were concerned that children often become the target audience for advertising harmful products — fast food, sugary drinks. In many countries, they regularly encounter advertisements for alcohol and cigarettes, which contributes to the growth of consumption of these products among young people. All this leads to health problems, from obesity to tobacco addiction. Also, high CO2 emissions play a negative role, which threaten the future of all children, regardless of the country. According to the results of this study, experts recommend taking into account the needs of children when making political decisions, reducing CO2 emissions as soon as possible and tightening the rules for advertising harmful products. The need to create a new global movement in the interests of protecting children's health and the future is noted.