A new report by the charity Save the Children says one in every four children are being denied a childhood.
The Stolen Childhood report found up to 700 million children have had the promise of a full childhood brought to an early end-many of them in West and Central Africa despite recent progress in the last 30 years.
"Although most of the lowest ranking countries are located in West and Central Africa, there are signs of hope and progress," said Jim Emerson, regional director for the charity in West and Central Africa.
"In fact, since 1990, the region has cut deaths under the age of five by half. This shows that by making deliberate choices to invest in children's health and well-being change is possible."
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