Men’s high mortality rate leaves many children orphaned

The number of paternal orphans in the country was high because of the relatively high mortality rates among men as well as a greater probability that the vital status and perhaps the identity of children’s fathers were unknown.

This is according to the South African Child Gauge 2024, launched by the Children’s Institute at UCT on Wednesday.

According to the Child Gauge, in 2022 there were 2.8 million orphaned children in South Africa.

These included children without a living biological mother or father or both parents, and is equivalent to 14% of all children in South Africa.

The majority (64%) of all orphans in South Africa are paternal orphans with deceased fathers and living mothers.

The report said: “Orphan status is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of care that children receive. It is important to disaggregate the total orphan figures because the death of one parent may have different implications for children than the death of both parents. In particular, it seems that children who are maternally orphaned are at risk of poorer outcomes than paternal orphans – for example, in relation to education.

“In 2022, 3% of all children in South Africa were maternal orphans with living fathers, 9% were paternal orphans with living mothers, and a further 2% were recorded as double orphans.

“In total, 5% of children in South Africa (1 million children) did not have a living biological mother and 11% (2.3 million) did not have a living biological father.”

According to the report, the number of paternal orphans was high because of the relatively high mortality rates among men in South Africa and the greater probability that the vital status, and even the identity, of a child’s father were unknown.

“Around 300 000 children have fathers whose vital status is reported to be ‘unknown’, compared with fewer than 40 000 children whose mothers’ status is unknown. The number and share of children who are double orphans more than doubled between 2002 and 2009, from 361 000 to 886 000 after which the rates fell again.

“In 2018, there were 471 000 children who had lost both their parents, but the numbers rose again to over 580 000 in 2019, with a further slight increase to 620 000 in 2020. Subsequently, the rate of double orphaning dropped back to around 540 000 in 2021 and dipped below 500 000 in 2022.”

The authors emphasised that investment in early childhood development mattered not just for children today but because it boosted their lifelong health, education and employment prospects.

“To break free from intergenerational cycles of poverty, violence and ill-health, and boost national development, South Africa must focus its efforts on the sensitive period of early childhood for investment to be most effective.

“Early childhood development refers to the processes by which children grow, develop and thrive – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, morally and socially –from their conception until they start formal schooling,” the authors said.

Professor Linda Richter, of the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development at the University of the Witwatersrand, said: “When we talk about early childhood development, we really mean early. While we can promote learning at four or five years of age, the potential of a child’s brain is built only once, during the first 1 000 days of life.”

Cape Times