A/HRC/15/55* aimed at the reduction of child mortality, increased school enrolment and achieving better gender parity in education. Nevertheless, the situation of children, especially those living in extreme poverty, remains a concern. 18. While the experts welcome the fact that more children are enrolled in schools, they are concerned that the overall dropout rate is still high, with official data indicating that almost half of children enrolled in primary school do not finish grade 5. Poor children are more likely to drop out of school than rich ones, and girls have a higher dropout rate once they reach adolescence.1 The experts call on the Government to pay particular attention to the sanitation and water factors that can hinder access to education; for example, when children are sick from lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation, or when girls have to spend long periods collecting water, they do not go to classes. Furthermore, the dropout rate of adolescent girls can be related to whether they have access to separate latrines or appropriate facilities for ensuring menstrual hygiene. 19. As children’s health is directly related to continued and deepening poverty, the experts welcome the Government policy of increasing vaccination, which has contributed to lower child mortality rates. However, the experts are concerned that children in vulnerable situations, especially those living in urban slums and street children, are less well covered.2 The experts are troubled by the high infant mortality rate, which stands at 43 infants per 1,000 live births.3 Moreover, they are concerned that 51,200 children reportedly die annually as a result of diarrhoea, which is most frequently caused by lack of sanitation and safe drinking water.4 20. Lack of birth registration is also a major obstacle for children living in poverty, because it hinders their access to social benefits and their protection from labour exploitation and early marriage. The experts recognize the importance of the Births and Deaths Registration Act and welcome the extension of free birth registration until July 2010. The commitment by the Government to ensure birth registration of all children must be maintained and strengthened in order to further raise birth registration rates which, while having improved, still only cover just over half the population. C. Persons with disabilities 21. Persons with disabilities are disproportionately represented among the poorest sections of society. According to the Ministry of Social Welfare, approximately 10 per cent of the population suffers from a physical or mental disability.5 This group suffers discrimination, which causes and perpetuates their poverty. The experts are particularly concerned about their lack of equal access to social services, including safe drinking water and sanitation. Public institutions, including schools and hospitals, are reportedly inaccessible for persons with disabilities.6 Moreover, they frequently do not receive appropriate care because of social stigma. 22. People living in extreme poverty are more vulnerable to becoming disabled because of aggravating factors, such as malnutrition, lack of or inappropriate housing, hazardous 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 “Situation assessment and analysis of children and women in Bangladesh”, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), September 2009, pp. 47 and 49. Ibid., p. 93. UNICEF, State of the World’s Children, 2009, available at www.unicef.org. “WaterAid Bangladesh wins National Sanitation Award”; see WaterAid website at www.wateraid.org. See Ministry of Social Welfare, www.msw.gov.bd/department_organization_msw.asp. See ASK, Human Rights in Bangladesh 2008, www.askbd.org/hr_report2008/21_DISABILITY.pdf. GE.10-15451