"Mtoto" means child in Swahili. It's also the nickname scientists have given to a set of human remains recently unearthed at a Stone Age site in Kenya. Mtoto was approximately three years old – a toddler – when he or she was laid to rest around 80,000 years ago. As reported earlier this month in the journal Nature, this is the oldest known burial of human remains in Africa. For me, however, the most awe-inspiring aspect of the discovery is that Mtoto was buried with so much care and tenderness, one might even say love. The archaeological evidence suggests the child was gently placed in the earth, wrapped in a shroud, head resting on a pillow. I wonder if cavemen cried?
According to some estimates, child mortality in the Stone Age might have been as high as 40 per cent. From our earliest ancestors through to the information age, nothing wrenches our heartstrings like child-sized shrouds and coffins. Death is inevitable, but the demise of a child is one of the hardest things we might ever need to accept.
Today, thankfully, child mortality is the lowest it has ever been. It is likely to decrease yet more. Globally, over the past three decades, the number of children dying before their fifth birthday has more than halved, from 12.6 million in 1990 to 5.2 million in 2019. Our progress in child health has been astounding, with mortality rates now as low as 0.2 per cent in some affluent nations. This is undoubtedly a great accomplishment, if somewhat unevenly distributed. But we have not made such correspondingly great strides in the mental health of young people. In some nations the rate of mental health problems among children even appears to have increased.
Child mortality is at its lowest. But we need to look at mental health as disorders often start before age 14
On 5 November, 2019, just before Covid-19 hit, the United Nations issued a press release entitled Increase in child and adolescent mental disorders spurs new push for action by Unicef and WHO. In it, Unicef Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, suggested that: "This looming crisis has no borders or boundaries. With half of mental disorders starting before age 14, we need urgent and innovative strategies to prevent, detect and, if needed, treat them at an early age." The Covid-19 pandemic has intersected with, and in many cases worsened, what was already an emerging problem.
In the UK, for example, referrals for eating disorders among children reached an all-time high during the last quarter of 2020, according to data from the country's National Health Service. The 2020 rate was almost double that for the same period in 2019,with a 20 per cent increase in the most severe cases, that is, those requiring hospitalisation.
Similarly, according to figures reported by Japan's education ministry, the number of child suicides in 2020 was the highest since records began in 1980. Suicide is now the leading cause of death for Japanese children between the ages 10-14. Across various nations, similar trends and problems have been reported for childhood depression, anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is rare to find any reports that mention decreasing rates of psychiatric morbidity among children.
We have reached a pivotal moment in human history where the mental health of our young people must become a public policy priority. Children's emotional well-being must take front and centre, from child protective services through to education, health and the environment.
Our schools should not be considered "outstanding" if they cannot demonstrate how they effectively safeguard and promote students' emotional well-being. Healthcare systems should not be considered "world-class" if there isn't adequate provision for specialist child and adolescent mental health services. Our cities should not be considered "smart" if they cannot connect children with nature, biodiversity and opportunities for physical activity. Before there is well-being, there is well-becoming: a safe place that is created by a loving society, where children flourish.
The UAE has made great progress towards promoting the emotional well-being of children. The list of initiatives is long, from introducing more robust child-protection laws to establishing the Early Childhood Authority and launching the World Early Development movement. This work is ongoing, pursuing the path of continuous systemic improvement. How could it be otherwise? Can our children ever be too emotionally well?
This work is motivated by the same force that 80,000 years ago moved someone enough to shroud Mtoto and rest the child's head on a pillow, before saying their final goodbye. The emotional well-being of children begins and ends with love.
Justin Thomas is a professor of psychology at Zayed University and a columnist for The National
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
more from Janine di Giovanni
GREATEST ROYAL RUMBLE CARD
The line-up as it stands for the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia on April 27
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns
Casket match
The Undertaker v Rusev
Intercontinental Championship
Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The Bludgeon Brothers v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship
Sheamus and Cesaro v Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy
United States Championship
Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
Singles match
Triple H v John Cena
To be confirmed
AJ Styles will defend his WWE World Heavyweight title and Cedric Alexander his Cruiserweight Championship, but matches have yet to be announced
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RACECARD%20
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA
Twenty20 International series
Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Tickets are available at www.q-tickets.com
Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
Related
Results:
CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off
1. Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds
2. Anikka Sande (NOR) For Cash 2 39.09
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) Cash Up 39.42
4. Nadia Taryam (UAE) Askaria 3 39.63
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) Fidelius G 47.74
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWafeq%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJanuary%202019%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadim%20Alameddine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Esoftware%20as%20a%20service%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERaed%20Ventures%20and%20Wamda%2C%20among%20others%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma
Four stars
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Brief scores:
Juventus 3
Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'
Frosinone 0
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
