Social protection to tackle child poverty in Equatorial Guinea - Briefing paper

The UNICEF West and Central African regional office has undertaken a major study on social protection and children in the region, to get a better understanding of the status of social protection systems and the opportunities and challenges to strengthen social protection for the poorest and most vulnerable children. The study, carried out together with ODI and African researchers, has resulted in a series of thematic reports published in March 2009 and five country reports. This paper provides an overview of poverty, vulnerability and risk in Equatorial Guinea and discusses the extent to which social protection systems and instruments are addressing child-specifc experiences of poverty and vulnerability. Some of the key points raised include:

• Oil revenue has made Equatorial Guinea the frst high income country in Africa.
• Despite the country's wealth, it has one of the highest poverty rates in Africa, and under-five and infant mortality rates have been increasing.
• Although many challenges remain, policy space has been created for increased dialogue on social protection interventions.

The full report is available in Spanish and a briefing paper in English and Spanish.

 UNICEF, ODI - September 2009