Living as a boy, girl, teen or youth under 18 years old in one of the most marginalized areas of Mexico implies belonging to a vulnerable, unattended and unprotected part of society, according to a report prepared by WorldVision México.

The international humanitarian organization declared that limited access to tap water in the most vulnerable communities affects the healthy development of children and adolescents.

“Malnutrition in México is very similar to malnutrition in Africa,” said nutritionist Marybel Yáñez, adviser to the nutritional project of the Mexican Social Security Institute IMSS.

Child malnutrition levels in states like Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guerrero, Veracruz, State of México, San Luis Potosí and Michoacán reach 36.4%, affecting mainly children five years old or younger, detailed Silvia Novoa, chairwoman of WorldVision México.

Martha Debayle, journalist and ambassador of the organization, explained that limited access to potable water that unleashes health and nutritional conflicts around the world, causing “the death of a child every 20 seconds due to poor sanitation conditions.”

In the absence of reliable hydraulic piping systems, it is mainly women and young girls who are tasked with carrying water from the nearest water source to their homes, negatively affecting their study and recreational time, hindering their personal development, they noted.

The State of the Most Vulnerable Children and Teenagers in Mexico 2015 was presented Monday.

Source: NotiEse (sp)