Activities are taking place today around the world in honor of International Youth Day. This year's theme, "Tackling Poverty Together: Young People and the Eradication of Poverty," brings attention to the hundreds of millions of young people who live below international poverty lines and face additional challenges of unemployment, HIV/AIDS, and illiteracy.
According to estimates from the latest World Youth Report, nearly one in five individuals between the ages of 15 and 24, or 200 million young people, live on less than US$1 per day. An additional 515 million young people live on less than US$2 per day. Approximately 10 million youth, mostly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, are currently living with HIV/AIDS, and despite constituting one-quarter of the global workforce, youth account for roughly one-half of those unemployed. In order to meet the poverty-reduction targets set out in the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals, continued efforts must be made on numerous, interrelated issues, including employment, education, healthcare, and access to drinkable water and sanitation.
International Youth Day additionally seeks to increase awareness for the global initiatives improving the lives of youth, particularly those efforts undertaken by young people to alleviate poverty.
RELATED LINKS:
United Nations Programme on Youth
EarthTrends data on children's health, population, and education
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