Press centre

Press releases and news notes

Child survival & development

WHO/UNICEF launch new action plan against pneumonia, the leading killer of children
NEW YORK, 1 November 2009 – More than five million children could be saved over six years if a comprehensive plan to tackle pneumonia is adopted...

Global health experts report childhood vaccines at all-time high, but access not yet equitable
WASHINGTON, D.C. 21 October 2009 — Reversing a downward trend, immunization rates are now at their highest ever and vaccine development...

Diarrhoea - Why children are still dying and what can be done: UNICEF and WHO launch report on the second greatest killer of children
NEW YORK, 14 October 2009 – Despite the existence of inexpensive and efficient means of treatment, diarrhoea kills more children than AIDS, malaria...

Benin: $1 million of essential supplies and equipment to encourage efforts for reducing maternal and child mortality
COTONOU, October 8, 2009 – UNICEF Representative in Benin, Dr. Souleymane Diallo, handed over to the Minister of Health, Dr. Issifou Takpara, a set...

Global child mortality continues to drop
NEW YORK, 10 September 2009 – UNICEF today released new figures that show the rate of deaths of children under five years of age continued to decline...

UNICEF Executive Director announces $500,000 for social protection programs in The Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville)
BRAZZAVILLE, The Republic of the Congo, 24 August 2009 – UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, in her visit to The Republic of the Congo...

UNICEF Chief commemorates Breastfeeding Week by promoting better nutrition and child health in Nigeria
KEBBI STATE, NIGERIA, 31 July 2009 - UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman emphasized the contribution that breastfeeding can...

UNICEF Executive Director launches first-ever National Child Health Week in Nigeria
ABUJA, 31 July 2009 – UNICEF Executive Director, Ann M. Veneman and the Nigerian Health Minister, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin...

Government of Japan provides $5.6 million to health programmes in Sudan
KHARTOUM, 29 July 2009 – The Government of Japan will sign a new agreement with UNICEF tomorrow, making available US$ 5.6 million...

Ministry of Health and UNICEF Zambia join with mobile phone companies for Child Health Week
LUSAKA, 16 July 2009 – To highlight Zambia’s Child Health Week activities, which this year focus on preventing polio, the Ministry of Health and...

UNICEF supports Child Health Days in Guinea Bissau that provide key interventions
BISSAU, 6 July 2009 – UNICEF Bissau is supporting a nation-wide vaccination campaign aimed at protecting children against killer diseases...

UNICEF highlights child survival on the Day of the African Child
NEW YORK, 16 June 2009 – Several African countries have made impressive gains in child survival in recent years but much more needs to be done...

Global commitment announced in fight against leading killer of children
NEW YORK/LECCE, ITALY, 12 JUNE 2009 – A new strategy in the fight against pneumonia, the world’s greatest killer of children, was announced today...

Zambia: Early childhood development in focus
LUSAKA, 18 August 2008 – More than 100 researchers, practitioners, and experts on Early Childhood Development (ECD) will gather in Livingstone...

The Government of the Netherlands grants $13.5 million to support a programming approach to early childhood development
Den Haag, 18 April 2008 - The Government of the Netherlands has announced a grant of $13,5 million, via UNICEF, to support a programme on early childhood development in selected countries.

Turkmenistan Government to fully support flour fortification
TURKMENISTAN, 14 January 2008 – UNICEF welcomes the Turkmenistan Government’s self-sustainable flour fortification programme.

UNICEF Armenia calls for more investment in early childhood learning
YEREVAN, 2 October 2007 – Representatives from ministries, parliament, governors, international organizations and members of non-governmental...

An alliance for a better childhood
TBILISI, 22 March 2007 - The National Alliance on early childhood development is being launched today at the Parliament of Georgia by the Committee on Health and...

Food Insecurity in Iraq Persists: Children Suffer
AMMAN/BAGHDAD, 11 May 2006 – Despite the laudable efforts of the Public Distribution System (PDS) of food baskets, many of Iraq’s poorer households are still food insecure, according to a Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis launched today, based on the most recent data from 2005.

A Quarter of the World’s Children Seriously Underweight
NEW YORK, 2 May 2006 - More than one quarter of all children under the age of five in developing countries are underweight, many to a life-threatening degree, says a UNICEF report published today. Poor nutrition remains a global epidemic contributing to more than half of all child deaths, about 5.6 million per year.

Chile: President Bachelet launched reform on early childhood
CHILE, 31 March 2006 - Yesterday  President  Michelle  Bachelet  announced  the  creation  of  a  Technical  Advisory  Council  to  reform the government’s early childhood  policies.   The  Council,  integrated  by  14  members  including  UNICEF,  is  part  of  President  Bachelet’s  goal to implement a new  social welfare system.

Poor feeding for children under two leads to nearly one-fifth of child deaths
NEW YORK, 1 August 2005 – Better infant feeding practices in the first two years of life could prevent almost one-fifth of all child deaths in the developing world, UNICEF said today at the start of World Breastfeeding Week.

5,500 children die in Eastern and Southern Africa every day

NAIROBI, 15 July 2005 - A disproportionately heavy burden of child deaths weighs on families in eastern and southern Africa. Every day 5,500 children under the age of five die across the 21 countries of the region and the majority of the deaths are largely preventable.

Integrated approach to child survival achieving important results
GENEVA, 16 May 2005  –  An integrated approach to child survival designed to deliver a package of lifesaving health services for children in hard to reach communities has shown remarkable results, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman announced today at the World Health Assembly.

Bellamy to call for new tactics in child survival at meeting of pediatricians in Cancun
MEDIA ADVISORY, 5 August 2004 - UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy will deliver the keynote address to  the 24th International Congress of Pediatrics in Cancun. Every year, more than 10 million children under the age of five die totally preventable deaths. Some are the direct causes of illness—pneumonia, diarrhoea, measles—and others are affected by indirect causes such as conflict and HIV/AIDS. Malnutrition and lack of safe water and sanitation are contributing factors to more than half of these deaths.

Day of the African Child, 2003: For each child, an identity
NEW YORK, 16 June 2003 - UNICEF offices in dozens of countries are set to celebrate the Day of the African Child today, calling for the need to ensure all children are registered at birth. (Press Release)

Far more pregnant women getting antenatal care
GENEVA / NEW YORK, 30 March 2004 – The number of pregnant women in developing countries receiving antenatal care during pregnancy has increased significantly since 1990, signalling that an untapped opportunity exists to reach poor women with a whole package of life-saving health services, according to a joint report issued today by UNICEF and the World Health Organization. 

UNICEF congratulates Uganda on new database outlining key indicators on children
UNICEF today congratulated the Government of Uganda on formally launching a national database that provides wide-ranging and updated information on social development in the country, including those directly linked to the lives of children and women.

2003 NEP: What's the difference? An ECD Impact Study from Nepal