Updated 3.30pm with ministry reaction

Only 0.2 per cent of children under 16 are in poor or very bad health in Malta, compared to 0.8 per cent in the EU as a whole, according to official statistics. 

A total of 95.9 per cent of children in the European Union (EU) were considered to be in 'good' or 'very good' general health, with a further 3.4 per cent in ‘fair health’ in 2017, Eurostat reported on Tuesday.

On the other hand, in Malta, a total of 98 per cent were in 'good' or 'very good' health, and a further 1.8 per cent in 'fair' health.

The situation in Malta is even better when it comes to children under five, with the rate being 99.6 per cent having fair, good or very good health, and only 0.3 per cent having bad or very bad health.

Children’s health declined with age for the EU average, however, while those in poor health increased from 0.6 per cent to 0.9 per cent, in Malta, the average remains 0.3 per cent, with no children aged 5-9 years old in this category.

Welcoming the results, the Children's Rights Ministry said that it would continue to look at children's rights in a wider context, noting in particular the imminent enactment of a law for their protection, currently in second reading in Parliament.

It said that its aim was to ensure that each boy and girl were able to live in a safe and decent environment, and far from the risk of poverty.