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Child labor has been a controversial issue around the world, it have been related

to poverty, inadequate educational opportunities and gender inequity. The

common knowledge about child labor its related to every work performed by an

under aged child (where they are classified between 5 - 14 years-old and from 14-

18 years-old children). Actually not all work children do is child labor, some forms

of work teach important skills, responsibilities and contribute a healthy

development, regarding many situations where children work are consider child

labor because they are harmful, hazardous and keep children away from

attending school.

Most children begins working at a young age, working long hours at harmful jobs

and receiving low wages and at high percent of them unpaid, as a result of these

most children do not attend school as their parents did, referring to the family

economy the children wages might represent more upcoming resources to help

them to survive at the moment, but what they can’t see is the loss of the future
opportunity of having a higher life standard for all the family members as a long

term consequence, that’s why Lack of education leads child labor to be inherited

in families.

Although child labor is considering a global health problem, where is not only a

physical health problem, also it is a mental and moral health problem, also the

consequences have to be classified as a short term or long term, as an example of

shot term the poor nutrition of children can lead to diseases, and a long term

example could be seen when the children reach their development with poor

anthropomorphic results and a weak mental state.

The health impact of child labor according to the ILO (International Labor

Organization) is a measurement of risk and need of a country; therefore

something has to be done in order to decrease child labor statistics; according to

ILO the right procedure is first helping the countries with the highest level of

health impact, above all there is a settle down program by the ILO which is called

IPEC (International program on the elimination of child labor); it was created in

1992 with the prime goal of the progressive elimination of child labor by

strengthening the capacity of developing countries to deal with the problem and

promoting a worldwide campaign to combat child labor; its resources are basically

donations made by different governments and private business, they work with

volunteers such as community-based organizations, universities, religious groups,

parliamentarians, the children and families themselves.