The plight of our children can’t wait for politics

The following opinion piece by Children's Commissioner, Dr Claire Achmad was originally published on Newsroom on Friday, 31 July 2026.

A child does not choose the street they grow up on, their parent’s income, or whether their home is warm, dry and secure.

Yet in Aotearoa New Zealand today, these circumstances continue to have a profound impact on the health, education and future opportunities of our nation’s children.

The latest evidence is a stark reminder that child poverty is not a consequence of children’s choices, but of the conditions too many families are forced to live in and the decisions that powerful decision-makers, such as the Government, make about housing, incomes, healthcare and support.

Children inherit the consequences of these decisions for the longest time.

The Cure Kids 2026 State of Child Health report was published earlier this year but did not receive the level of attention it demands. The report shows children in our most deprived communities are getting sicker, being hospitalised more often, and experiencing health outcomes that should be preventable in a country as wealthy as ours.

Respiratory hospitalisation rates are now at record highs, with acute respiratory illnesses accounting for one in five child and adolescent hospital admissions and more than one in three hospitalisations among infants.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of winter hospital admissions for infant chest infections and bronchiolitis and cold, damp homes and crowded living spaces make the virus spread faster.

Children’s hospitals are dealing with unprecedentedly high rates of RSV and other respiratory illnesses right now, and it is not uncommon for paediatric emergency department doctors and nurses to start the day caring for babies in resuscitation rooms who are afflicted by these very preventable illnesses.

As I conclude my term as Children’s Commissioner, one message I want to strongly emphasise is this: these negative childhood health outcomes are preventable.

The hardships experienced by children reflect the priorities the Government sets and the policies it chooses to invest in.

Nearly 170,000 New Zealand children are living in material hardship and half of these children are in working families.

Behind every number is a child who did nothing to cause their circumstances. A child struggling to breathe in a cold, damp bedroom. A baby hospitalised with bronchiolitis. A young person dealing with anxiety, depression or the effects of trauma. A whānau forced to choose between paying the rent, heating their home, or putting healthy food on the table.

Importantly, the Cure Kids researchers point to solutions as well as problems.

One recommendation, supported by a growing number of public health experts, is publicly-funded, universal RSV immunisation, which has proven highly effective in countries including Australia and the UK. Evidence has shown vaccination programmes reduced hospitalisations from RSV up to 90%.

When record numbers of babies and young children are being admitted to hospital with preventable respiratory illnesses, we should be making proven protections available to the children who need them most. Investing in measures such as RSV immunisation is a practical way to reduce inequities and ensure fewer children suffer the consequences of circumstances beyond their control.

Children cannot vote, influence government budgets, negotiate their rent or increase household income. They are entirely dependent on the decisions adults make on their behalf.

If we are serious about giving every child the opportunity to thrive, we must address the conditions holding them back and invest in the supports that enable families to succeed.

The widening gap in health outcomes between our least and most deprived communities is not inevitable – we already know what works. What has been missing is sustained commitment to prioritising children and their right to grow up free from poverty and with the healthiest possible start in life.

Changing these outcomes will require deliberate, long-term action that survives election cycles and political disagreements.

Children only get one chance at childhood. A baby hospitalised this winter cannot wait for a stronger economy. A child growing up in poverty cannot pause their development until political consensus emerges.

As I wrote in an open letter to all political party leaders last week, our children’s current and future potential is too important to delay any longer. The wellbeing of our children is foundational to everything we hope to achieve as a nation.