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5 results
  • Article (17)
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Statement
24 Kwiecień 2023
Joint statement: European Immunisation Week 2023 and beyond
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/joint-statement-european-immunisation-week-2023-and-beyond
Geneva, Brussels, Copenhagen, 24 April 2023 – Following three years with COVID-19, we are transitioning into a new normal and building on many lessons learned to create resilient health systems and stronger outbreak preparedness. Among these lessons is the powerful strength of collaboration, without which we cannot equitably reach everyone with life-saving vaccines. As we mark European Immunization Week, UNICEF, WHO and the European Commission alongside other regional and local stakeholders are committed to continue working to protect the most vulnerable through COVID-19 vaccination. Together we will continue our support to countries to ensure children and families have timely access to routine vaccinations and catch up on any missed doses, all of which are essential to prevent the return of highly contagious vaccine-preventable diseases. COVID-19 placed huge new demands on health systems and exposed existing shortages within the health workforce. Lockdowns and the fear of contracting COVID-19 while visiting health-care facilities led some families to put off vaccinating their children. Across 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia – together making up the European Region of WHO - over 1 million children missed all or some routine vaccinations since the start of the pandemic in 2020. While many of the countries in the Region quickly recovered with great effort from disruptions and delays to routine vaccinations, 16 countries saw a decline in coverage for the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) vaccine in 2021 compared to pre-pandemic rates. Half of the Region’s 20 middle-income countries reported coverage below 90% for one or more vaccines in 2021, compared to less than 10% of high-income countries, which is widening the immunization equity gap among countries and their populations. War in Ukraine and earthquakes in Türkiye have caused further disruptions to health services, displaced millions of families, and made access to life-saving vaccines much harder. Vaccination is a cornerstone of public health. Every dose in the national immunisation schedule is timed to build or sustain protection from one or more diseases. Every missed or delayed dose puts a child at greater risk of infection. This can be particularly dangerous for young children and the most vulnerable in our communities. The more children who fall behind, the greater the risk of large outbreaks of measles, polio, diphtheria and other dangerous infectious diseases. Cases of measles in the European Region increased almost six-fold in a reporting year, up from 159 in 2021 to more than 900 in 2022. Cases of diphtheria increased seven-fold from 41 in 2021 to 300 in 2022. Detections of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses were also reported in 2022 in Israel and the United Kingdom. It is in our common interest to protect each other from disease; critical to this is keeping up with national vaccine schedules, including by receiving all the recommended doses and boosters, and catching up on any that have been missed. As we continue to support countries to build resilient public health systems and infrastructures, let us remember that we have a strong foundation of public health accomplishments to preserve and build upon. Working together to bring the world closer to eradicating polio and eliminating measles, rubella, cervical and other cancers from the Region through vaccination, we will ensure better health for all and contribute to our joint commitment to regional and global health security. Signatories Ms Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Ms Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe In Krakow, Poland, Nurse prepares a Varilrix vaccine against chickenpox at the UNIMED medical center. UNICEF/U.S. CDC/UN0715410/Kasia Strek
Statement
26 Kwiecień 2021
Celebrating the past, present and future benefits of vaccines
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/celebrating-past-present-and-future-benefits-vaccines
Copenhagen, Geneva, Brussels, 26 April 2021 - This past, difficult year of the COVID-19 pandemic has made clear how vulnerable we all are to a deadly new disease, when we don’t have the right vaccines or medical technologies we normally use to fight back. Long before COVID-19, one crucial tool – simply called “routine immunization” – was already saving millions of lives and preventing debilitating sickness, particularly among children. Routine immunization protects not only the person vaccinated, but also others in their communities. It helps pave the way to universal health coverage and Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals – ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. The roll-out of COVID-19 vaccination at an ever-increasing speed across the WHO European Region, just a year after the start of the pandemic, is an impressive achievement. The European Union, WHO, UNICEF, all national governments and other partners have worked side by side in this response. Thanks to the global COVAX allocation mechanism and Team Europe’s effort some countries in the region that could not have competed on the global vaccine market on their own, are seeing vaccines being rolled-out. The European Union, WHO and UNICEF are now working with private and public sectors to overcome supply and capacity challenges and enable faster delivery. The uneven roll-out of COVID-19 vaccination to date highlights another truth: Inequitable access to health technologies between and within countries hurts us all. The virus and its impact on interlinked economies and societies know no borders. No country is safe until all countries are safe. While COVID-19 vaccination must continue at a faster and more equitable pace, it must not come at the cost of neglecting routine immunization. Any dip in routine coverage caused by the pandemic in 2020 or 2021 will pave the way for future outbreaks and jeopardize decades of progress.   In 2019, the European Region continued its record-breaking trend in routine vaccination coverage rates against measles and other vaccine preventable diseases. While 2020 saw an exceptionally low rate of reported measles cases, the pandemic has challenged national immunization programmes to keep up and catch up on routine shots. We must keep measles and other preventable diseases at bay by maintaining high routine vaccination coverage rates in every community, even during the pandemic. This year, more than ever, we call on everyone to do their part by choosing health information sources carefully, getting all routine vaccinations in due time and accepting COVID-19 vaccination for yourself and your loved ones when your turn comes. Talk to your children and others about vaccination, so they also come to see that it is not just an injection, but an investment in a healthier future and a safer world. A girl is getting her routine vaccination in Armenia. UNICEF Armenia/2021/Margaryan
Document
21 Grudzień 2021
Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on children and families in the Western Balkans and Türkiye
https://www.unicef.org/eca/documents/mitigating-impact-covid-19-children-and-families-western-balkans-and-t%C3%BCrkiye
In January 2021, UNICEF, in partnership with the European Union (EU), launched a two-year programme to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of children and families in the Western Balkans and Türkiye. EU funding of €5 million is enabling UNICEF to ensure that quality core services for health, learning, child protection, and…, About this newsletter 1 This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo* declaration of independence In January 2021, UNICEF, in partnership with the European Union (EU), launched a two-year programme to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of…
Document
06 Lipiec 2023
500 days of war for Ukraine’s children
https://www.unicef.org/eca/documents/500-days-war-ukraines-children
Ukraine’s children and their families have endured 500 days of forced displacement, unthinkable loss, and relentless violence since the escalation of war in February 2022. At least 535 children have been killed – the equivalent of a child dying every day since the war escalated, mostly from bombardment. At least 1,095 children have been injured.…, UNICEF's response, UNICEF continues to respond to children’s urgent humanitarian needs and ensure children have access to health care, immunization, nutrition, education, water and sanitation, and mental health and psychosocial support. In refugee hosting countries, UNICEF continues to work with governments, municipalities, and local partners to…, Ukraines children and their families have endured 500 days of forced displacement, unthinkable loss, and relentless violence since the escalation of war in February 2022. At least 535 children have been killed the equivalent of a child dying every day since the war escalated, mostly from bombardment. At least 1,095 children have been injured.1…
Document
01 Wrzesień 2022
12 questions and answers about sexual and reproductive health and rights
https://www.unicef.org/eca/documents/questions-answers-sexual-reproductive-health
Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education is a lifelong journey. Every year, the onset of adolescence changes the bodies of millions of girls and boys. Access to quality sexual and reproductive health information and services plays a crucial role in safeguarding the well-being of each adolescent, preparing them for a safe, productive and…, Preparing for a lifelong journey 1 Preparing for a lifelong journeyWe all go through massive changes at every stage of our development as human beings. As we move from one stage of our life to the next, our bodies, feelings, likes and dislikes change as we develop the attitudes and values that will guide our choices, relationships and behaviours.…

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