Beyond survival: Health and well-being for every child
UNICEF upholds the right of every child in the region to be healthy and reach their full potential by supporting improved health services, scaled-up community health programmes and stronger primary health care (PHC) systems
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Child health in Europe and Central Asia
Our goal: By 2030 all children and adolescents in Europe and Central Asia are reached with essential support for their health, nutrition, development and well-being through strong and equitable health systems to ensure that they survive and reach their full potential.
Data from the region
The region has surpassed global targets for under-five mortality.
Child deaths are concentrated in the earliest months of life.
The region has one of the world’s lowest exclusive breastfeeding rates.
The region accounts for around half of the world’s reported measles cases.
Half of all children in the region are exposed to frequent heatwaves – double the global average.
The Europe and Central Asia region has more than halved deaths among children under the age of five in recent decades – surpassing the global targets for child mortality. But this progress masks challenges that threaten the health and well-being of children and adolescents, millions of whom lack the support they need to thrive.
The younger the child, the greater the risks, with child deaths increasingly concentrated in the first few weeks and months of life – deaths that are often linked to poor quality care for mothers and babies. And the risks are highest for those from marginalized communities, with children’s survival and well-being often shaped by who and where they are.
The region faces serious challenges for nutrition and immunization. It has one of the lowest rates of exclusive breastfeeding worldwide and stunting affects more than 1.8 million children under five in the region. At the same time, child obesity rates are soaring. Meanwhile, measles outbreaks across the region signal worrying gaps in immunization coverage.
Children are particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change and environmental degradation. Around half of all children in the region are exposed to frequent heatwaves – double the global average. Their health is often undermined by toxins and pollution in the air they breathe, the water they drink and the ground they walk on.
The mental health of children and adolescents is also under pressure, and there is too little help for those in distress. Suicide is now the leading cause of deaths for adolescents and young people: more than 1,300 aged 15 to 19 in the region take their own lives every year.
Key policies
1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Article 6.2: the survival and development of the child.
- Article 24: the right of all children to the best standard of health, including reduced infant and child mortality, pre- and post-natal care for mothers, and information for all on the importance of child health and nutrition.
2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 3: ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages.
- Target 3.2: end the preventable deaths of newborns and children under five by 2030
- Target 3.8: achieve universal health coverage, including basic health services and vaccines for all.
What is UNICEF doing?
Improving health services
UNICEF supports better health services for children and mothers, aiming to prevent neo-natal deaths by making sure every birth is safe for mothers and for babies in their first moments of life, every baby has the nutrition and care they need, and every parent is equipped to help their baby thrive.
We work to ensure every child has access to vaccination to protect them from deadly diseases and tackle the misinformation that puts children’s lives at risk by eroding trust in vaccination. We also support infant and young child feeding (IYCF) across the region to ensure that all children have the best nutritional start in life, including exclusive breastfeeding.
We look beyond purely medical approaches to support developmental monitoring and early childhood interventions to detect and diagnose any health problems. We also support parents, recognizing the importance of the bonds between caregivers and young children for child health and providing resources such as our free Bebbo app to answer their burning questions.
We support the psychological well-being and mental health of children and adolescents, working with governments to improve youth-friendly mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) using every available platform, including digital tools and schools.
Scaling up health platforms
UNICEF supports efforts to reach children in their own homes and communities through home visiting. Health workers are often trusted by the families of babies and toddlers, and our support for Universal Progressive Home Visiting (UPHV) enables them to work with parents to ensure that every child has support for their long-term health and well-being.
Strengthening health systems
The scale-up of health platforms is only possible if backed by strong health systems. UNICEF aims to put PHC at the heart of universal health coverage and governance, with effective policies, adequate budgets and skilled health professionals. We support measures to create a well-equipped PHC workforce and to use digital technologies and robust research to show what works and take it to scale. We provide costings and call for funding to ensure equitable access to high-quality care and services, integrate health care services, and ease financial hardships for families that need help.
We generate public demand for PHC services by raising awareness among policy-makers, the public and health professionals of the importance of healthy children for healthy, productive and cohesive societies. And as always, we work across communities and sectors to identify the health issues that matter and the solutions that work.
Health programmes in Europe and Central Asia
Immunization: Life-saving and life-enhancing
It is one of the most cost-effective ways – by far – to save and enhance the lives of children. Immunization prevents the deaths of around 4.4 million children every year and protects millions more from preventable illness and disability. Yet the number of children who are not fully vaccinated is on the rise.
Closing the nutrition gaps
Child nutrition in the Europe and Central Asia region is not only about the supply of food. It is also about food policies, systems and practices, and the information and support available to families. And as a result of weaknesses in these areas, this is a region characterized by child nutrition gaps.
Bringing health to the home
Home-visiting nurses are a crucial source of support, encouragement and information for families with young children in the Europe and Central Asia region. By bringing health services into the home, they build trust and lasting connections.