Call to increase spending on people's social needs in the Pacific

Call to increase spending on people's social needs in the Pacific

The UN's Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, ESCAP, has released a report that showed spending on social protection in the region was less than one-third of the global average.

It also said 60 percent of people in the region were unprotected against sickness, disability, unemployment, or pregnancy.

The commission's Kaveh Zahedi said greater investment in education, healthcare and social needs could be a solution to ending poverty.