DAR ES SALAAM, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania on Thursday marked the Day of the African Child with a pledge to scale up protection of all children from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

       President Samia Suluhu Hassan called for enhanced child protection, empowerment and availing them with equal opportunities.

       The government will continue its efforts to protect every child's rights, President Hassan said in her official tweet account.

       "On this Day of the African Child, I wish all the best to every child in Africa. Let's continue implementing the Agenda 2040 for African children," she said.

       Dorothy Gwajima, the Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, said the government has created 427 police gender and children desks across the country for reporting abuse and violence incidents against children.

       Gwajima told a public rally in the capital Dodoma that the government is also reviewing the Law of the Child Act of 2009 with a view to amending it and improving its children protection role.

       She said her ministry in collaboration with other development partners, including UNICEF, are building a system for holistic attention to children protection issues including both prevention and response.

       Gwajima said police statistics showed that from January 2021 to December 2021, there were 11,499 reported cases of abuse and violence against children.

       She said a joint study by the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups and UNICEF showed that 60 percent of violence against children was committed in homes and 40 percent in schools.