Wed, 15 Oct 2025

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 Child poverty is a 'crisis that cannot be ignored'

Public health officials issue an "urgent" call for action to help some 27,000 children in poverty.

*Child poverty affects every aspect of a child's life, said Dr Eunan O'Neill, director of public health for Cornwall, who added that it is "a crisis that cannot be ignored"
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*Poverty can manifest when individuals lack sufficient resources to meet basic needs, such as paying rent, buying food or heating their home.
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*According to the report, child poverty rates in Cornwall are above the England average at 22.9%.
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*The report's author, Dr O'Neill, stated that "poverty is not inevitable" and can be changed through policy, systems, and choices.
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*A multi-agency child poverty taskforce is proposed to tackle the issue, as part of the report's recommendations.
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*The situation has been described as an "uncomfortable truth" by Cornwall Council cabinet member Hilary Frank, who highlighted that many children are struggling with basic necessities.
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