, NEW YORK, 26 April 2017, – UNICEF procured 2.5 billion doses of vaccines to children in nearly 100 countries in 2016, reaching almost half of the world’s children under the age of five. The figures, released during World Immunization Week, make UNICEF the largest buyer of vaccines for children in the world.  Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the three…, NOTES TO EDITORS:, UNICEF works with World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others to ensure that vaccines protect all children – especially those who are the hardest to reach and the most vulnerable. World Immunization Week runs from 24 – 28 April 2017. For more information visit:…

 , New York, 16 July 2018, : A record 123 million infants were immunized globally in 2017, according to data released today by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.  The data shows that: 9 out of every 10 infants received at least one dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine in 2017, gaining protection against these deadly diseases.   An…, Notes to Editors, Since 2000, WHO and UNICEF have jointly produced national immunization coverage estimates for each of the 194 WHO Member States on an annual basis. In addition to producing the immunization coverage estimates for 2017, the WHO and UNICEF estimation process revises the entire historical series of …, Related links, WHO/UNICEF 2017 country and regional immunization coverage data  Global Vaccine Action Plan 2012-2020   A baby girl receives her vaccination at a clinic in Serbia. UNICEF/UN040869/Bicanski A baby girl receives her vaccination at a clinic in Serbia.

What is the Astana Global Conference? On 25-26 October 2018, world leaders, government ministers, development partners, civil society and young people will meet in Astana for the Global Conference on Primary Health Care, jointly hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan, UNICEF and WHO. Participants will renew their commitment to primary health care…, Success stories: How primary health care helps families and children, In remote Kyrgyzstan simple solutions save newborn lives How visiting nurses help prevent child deaths in Kazakhstan Fathers in Turkmenistan carve out their immediate and long-term parenting roles Investing in better care during baby’s first days is saving lives in Kyrgyzstan Saving newborn lives in remote mountainous areas of Kyrgyzstan  , “In Focus” reports:, A healthy start in life for every child Immunization  , More information about the Astana Global Conference, WHO Global Conference on Primary Health Care website The Declaration of Alma-Ata Provisional conference programme

This UNICEF working paper aims to track and analyse online anti-vaccination sentiment in social media networks by examining conversations across social media in English, Russian, Romanian and Polish. The findings support the assumption that parents actively use social networks and blogs to inform their decisions on vaccinating their children. The…

The challenge, Europe and Central Asia has surpassed global progress on child mortality, more than halving the deaths of children under five and infants since 1990. And as progress for the poorest households has accelerated, the health gap between the richest and poorest has narrowed.  However, persistent inequities reflect a continued failure to invest…, Resources, These resources on health and nutrition represent just a small selection of materials produced by UNICEF and its partners in the region. The list is regularly updated to include the latest information.  Every Child ALIVE - the urgent need to end newborn deaths (2018) - UNICEF A Promise Renewed: Every Newborn  (2014) - WHO and UNICEF From the first…, The solution, Investing in the early years is one of the smartest investments a country can make. UNICEF draws on robust evidence and its own experience to achieve concrete action for the health and nutrition of children across the region. We demonstrate that investing in the early years is one of the smartest investments a country can make to break the cycle…

"When COVID arrived here, I thought: ‘It's over, it will spread throughout the building’. I didn't think it was possible to avoid the spread of the outbreak. Instead, we have had very few cases and we owe this, above all, to the support we received from INTERSOS and UNICEF."  Josehaly (Josy), a refugee living in Rome A field worker from Intersos…, In Bulgaria, , UNICEF and its partners were able to take immediate measures with support from the ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative to alleviate the impact, including online awareness raising and information sessions and the use of different channels for communication, including social media. UNICEF’s partners, the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria (CRWB) and…, In Greece, , the initiative supported the development of child-friendly information posters and stickers for refugee and migrant children and their families on critical preventive measures and on what to do and where to go if they experience any COVID-19 symptoms., In Italy, , the initiative has supported outreach teams and community mobilization, providing refugee and migrant families with the information and resources they need to keep the pandemic at bay. In Rome, for example, health promoters from Intersos continued to work directly with refugee and migrant communities in informal settlements, not only to prevent…, In Serbia, , the initiative has supported UNICEF’s efforts to improve the immunization process for refugee children and migrants by strengthening the assessment and monitoring process. As a result of such efforts, refugees and migrants have been included in the national COVID-19 Immunization Plan.  , Building on what works, As these examples show, support from the ‘RM Child-Health initiative’ has helped UNICEF and its partners rise to the challenges posed by the pandemic over the past year. The initiative has enabled frontline workers to accelerate, adapt, expand and intensify work that was already underway, and to mobilize social media and other channels, as well as…

The challenge, The Roma are one of Europe’s largest and most disadvantaged minority groups. Of the 10 to 12 million Roma people in Europe, around two-thirds live in central and eastern European countries. While some have escaped from poverty, millions live in slums and lack the basic services they need, from healthcare and education to electricity and clean…, Resources, This list of resources related to Roma children is regularly updated to include the latest information:  Building more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous societies in Europe and Central Asia (2017) - UNDG and UNRCM UNICEF: Rapid Review on Inclusion and Gender Equality in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia  (2016) - UNICEF…, The solution, Improving the lives of Roma children requires the rights-based approach that characterizes the work of UNICEF in the region. We focus on the most marginalized and excluded children, including those growing up in Roma communities, to uphold their rights to a fulfilling childhood. UNICEF helps to link Roma children and their families to the services…