Australia has fallen to 32nd place in a UNICEF ranking of child wellbeing in 38 of the world’s wealthiest countries.

Telethon Kids Institute founding director Professor Fiona Stanley described the report as “anguishing”, with Australian children dying at three times the rate of the top ranked nation, the Netherlands.

“We’re in the bottom third for almost everything, compared with all the wealthy countries,” she told Jim Wilson.

“I was really stunned how high our suicide rates were, how high our child mortality rates [were].

“I just feel so despondent … why are we doing so badly here? Are we not valuing children the way we should be?”

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Image: Getty