BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Caribbean countries are expected to be able to access a new global fund that seeks to end violence against children through seven interlinked strategies.

The “Global Partnership” fund, comprising the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and partners, will form part of the “INSPIRE” package that the stakeholders hope will dramatically reduce instances of violence against children.

PAHO said that over the past year, up to one billion children have experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence, according to a recent study published in Pediatrics.

Homicide is among the top five causes of death for adolescents. One in four children suffers physical abuse, and nearly one in five girls is sexually abused at least once in their lives.

“Violence against children is not inevitable – if we challenge the status quo that harms the lives and futures of so many children. Every child has the right to grow up free from violence – and we all need to work together to realize that vision,” said Susan Bissell, Director of the Global Partnership.

The new Fund created to End Violence Against Children will provide financial support to programs that accelerate action.

Initially it will focus on preventing online violence, with a particular focus on sexual exploitation, addressing violence in everyday lives of children and addressing the prevention of violence against children facing conflict and crisis. The fund is now accepting proposals for funding priority actions.

A joint PAHO-CDC report on violence against women, which compared interviews from 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, found intersections between violence during childhood and violence against women.

According to the study, women who experienced violence as children reported suffering intimate partner violence as adults at a significantly higher percentage than women who did not suffer violence as children.

In 2015, the countries of the Americas agreed to improve health systems’ ability to prevent and respond to violence against women, which will also help stop violence against children.

The new partnership aims to bring together governments, UN agencies, civil society, the private sector, researchers and academics to build political will, promote solutions, accelerate action and strengthen collaboration to prevent violence against children.

The World Health Organization (WHO), which is a founding member of the partnership, said it will support work to implement strategies in countries.