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NAIROBI, 16 June 2026 , – On the Day of the African Child, UNICEF's Children's Climate Risk Report 2026 warns that children across Eastern and Southern Africa are facing overlapping climate shocks that are disrupting essential services, undermining children's rights and deepening inequality. Across the region, over 65 million children, close to one in four, are already…

The Big Catch-Up, launched during World Immunization Week 2023, has delivered over 100 million vaccine doses to an estimated 18.3 million children across 36 countries. Around 12.3 million were “zero-dose children” who had not previously received any vaccines and 15 million who had never received a measles vaccine. The initiative concluded in March…, GENEVA/NEW YORK, 24 April 2026 – , The Big Catch-Up (BCU), a historic multi-year, multi-country effort to address vaccination declines driven largely by the COVID-19 pandemic, has reached an estimated 18.3 million children aged 1 to 5 across 36 countries with more than 100 million doses of life-saving vaccines, helping to narrow critical immunity gaps, announced Gavi, the Vaccine…, Addressing the vaccine equity gap, Beyond pandemic recovery, the BCU initiative focused on closing the vaccine equity gap. Millions of children every year miss the essential vaccinations they should receive before the age of one. Most of them live in fragile, conflict-affected, or underserved communities and are never caught up as they grow older. The 36 participating BCU countries…, Looking at the challenges ahead, Through the Big Catch-Up, for the first time ever, countries and global partners successfully reached 12.3 million “older” zero dose children between the ages of 1 to 5. However, in 2024, an estimated 14.3 million infants under the age of one globally failed to receive a single vaccine through routine immunization programmes. Despite BCU…, For every generation, vaccines work, WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, along with countries and communities, are marking  World Immunization Week (24-30 April 2026) with a joint campaign, "For every generation, vaccines work," calling on countries to sustain and expand vaccination coverage at every age. At the midpoint of the  Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), and central to  Gavi's 2026–2030…

NAIROBI, 20 April 2026, – Climate-related disasters have already cost education systems in Eastern and Southern Africa US$1.3 billion in direct loss and damage to schools and teaching infrastructure, and disrupted learning for 130 million children, according to a new UNICEF and Dalberg report, Protecting Children’s Learning Futures: Quantifying Climate-Related Loss and…, Strengthen the integration of education within national climate frameworks, : Explicitly reference education in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), to help unlock access to climate and loss-and- damage financing., Apply a climate-risk lens to domestic education financing, : Ensure budget allocations to education are climate-informed, prioritizing the critical, foundational stage of learning for children and continuity of education in the face of climate shocks., Scale and target international climate finance for education, : Ensure major climate funds, including the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund and the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), allocate dedicated resources to education, with FRLD specifically supporting unavoidable losses when climate impacts exceed what education systems can adapt to.    ##### , Note to editors: , Report: UNICEF and Dalberg Protecting Children’s Learning Futures: Quantifying Climate-Related Loss and Damage in Eastern and Southern Africa, on Loss and Damage in Education B-roll: Climate and Education Broadcast Country analyses in the UNICEF and Dalberg report includes:, Kenya, : 2024 floods disrupted schooling and widened gender gaps in re-enrollment, particularly for girls and children with disabilities., Somalia, : Repeated droughts, floods and conflict have driven mass displacement, leaving millions of children out of school and newly displaced children – especially girls – least likely to attend., Mozambique, : Cyclones Idai and Kenneth in 2019 showed that while thousands of classrooms were destroyed, those built to resilient standards withstood the impact - highlighting both the returns on investment and the scale of unmet need., Ethiopia, : Rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves affect 83 per cent of children, and are already disrupting school attendance, reducing concentration in the classroom, and undermining learning outcomes.

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 18 March 2026, – An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to new estimates released today. Most of these deaths are preventable with proven, low-cost interventions and access to quality health care. According to the report – Levels & Trends in Child Mortality – under-five deaths…, Make child survival a political and financing priority, , with political commitment from high-burden countries to mobilize domestic resources, and improve access to evidence-based, quality services that are affordable for all., Focus on those at highest risk,, especially mothers and children in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, and in conflict and fragile settings., Strengthen accountability,  for existing commitments to reduce maternal, newborn, and child deaths, including transparent data collection, tracking, and reporting., Invest in primary health care systems , to prevent, diagnose and treat the leading causes of death in children, including through community health workers and skilled care at birth.,  , Quotes, “No child should die from diseases that we know how to prevent. But we see worrying signs that progress in child survival is slowing – and at a time where we’re seeing further global budget cuts,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “History has shown what is possible when the world commits to protecting its children. With sustained…

When Lethokuhle discovered she was pregnant, she was already seven months along. “I didn’t know,” she says quietly. “I took three tests. I thought I was fine.” At 22 years old, she had finished school and was living at home with her parents. She had plans for the future, but motherhood was not something she had prepared for. When she realised she…, Finding strength at home, When Lethokuhle finally told her parents, their response surprised her. “They were calm,” she remembers. “They shouted a little — they are parents — but they didn’t hurt me. They supported me.” Her mother made sure she received medical care and accompanied her to appointments. “She didn’t want nurses to judge me for coming late,” Lethokuhle…, “They made me feel safe”, After her baby was born, Lethokuhle began visiting the local clinic in KwaZulu Natal for immunisations. That is where she met the Young Mentor Mothers — Sindiswa and Phumele. “I was relieved,” she says. “They asked about my life. They listened. They promised they wouldn’t share my story.” For the first time, she felt she could speak openly. “I…, Walking the journey together, For Sindiswa and Phumele, building trust is at the heart of their work. “We talk to them like someone we know,” says Phumele. “So they feel comfortable.” Confidentiality, respect, and empathy are central. “Everything we talk about is private,” Sindiswa adds. “That’s how we build trust.” They provide health information, support with treatment…, Becoming a mother, Today, Lethokuhle speaks with pride about her child. “I feel proud to be a mother,” she says. “Many people said I wouldn’t make it. But I am doing it.” Raising a child on her own has not been easy. “It’s very hard,” she admits. “But I’m strong.” She dreams of studying hospitality in the future and building a stable life for her son. “I want to…, Growing as young leaders, For Sindiswa and Phumele, becoming Young Mentor Mothers has also been life-changing. Before joining the programme, both were shy and uncertain about their abilities. “I wasn’t confident,” Sindiswa says. “Now I can stand in front of people and speak.” Phumele agrees. “This job helped me accept who I am.” Through their work, they have gained…, Looking forward, All three young women now speak about the future with hope. “This job opened my eyes,” Phumele says. “I can progress in life.” Lethokuhle agrees. “I know now that this is not the end. I still have a future.” Surrounded by supportive parents, caring young mentors mothers, and a health system that values psychosocial support and peer connection, she…

This year’s International Women’s Day campaign is ‘Give to Gain’, highlighting that when women thrive, we all rise. The path to equality is paved with innovative programmes which prioritise women and girls, while also benefiting their families, communities and countries. Eastern and Southern Africa has some of the world’s highest rates of maternal…, . , In short, investing in adolescents gives a high yield return for everyone. For every country in the region to meet their Sustainable Development Goals, we must carefully consider what we must give, in order to gain. Governments, UN, civil society, donors, communities and individuals alike, shouldn’t see giving as a subtraction. It's intentional…

Nairobi, 7 March 2026, – “UNICEF strongly condemns the brutal attack in Abiemnhom County in the Ruweng Administrative Area of South Sudan, which resulted in the deaths of three children, while at least 13 others are receiving treatment in hospital. The assault occurred on March 1, 2026. Local authorities report that the death toll has risen to 180, with more than 4,000…

Djibouti, 6 March 2026 –, “UNICEF is deeply saddened by the loss of four children’s lives following an explosion in the Dikhil region in Djibouti.   “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the children and to the communities affected by this tragic incident. Our thoughts are also with the children who sustained injuries and we wish them a full and swift…

JOHANNESBURG, 24 February 2026:, The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has launched its  biennial scorecard , a critical tool that tracks progress on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) across its 16 Member States. New data, including from demographic health surveys, shows great strides in improving the sexual and reproductive health of people across the…, Lowered Adolescent Birth Rates, : Twelve Member States recorded a decline in adolescent births, which can be attributed to the high roll-out of life-skills HIV and comprehensive sexuality education in primary schools., Decline in HIV infection rates, : The region has seen a decline in new HIV infections, however,  the latest scorecard suggests that the rate of reduction in new HIV infections amongst adolescent girls and young women aged 15 - 24 years is slowing in seven countries. This could be partially linked to a rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in half of the countries and a…, Reduction in Maternal Mortality, : Six countries recorded significant reductions in maternal mortality, based on their latest national health data. This can be attributed to the priority given by the region to reduce maternal mortality, which needs to be sustained in order to preserve the gains made., Strong progress in the decrease in the vertical transmission of HIV, :,  , Twelve Member States are on track to meet the SDG target by 2030, five of whom already achieved the milestone in 2025. Despite this success, children and adolescent girls and young women are lagging behind in receiving HIV services. In addition to the abovementioned gains, the scorecard also identified areas where concerted efforts are needed:, Family Planning, : Eight Member States are not meeting the contraceptive needs of women. Investing in the contraceptive needs of women and adolescent girls can further reduce teen pregnancies and preventable maternal deaths, and ensure their contribution to their country’s economic growth and development., Gender-Based Violence: , Sexual and intimate partner violence remains persistently high across all Member States in the SADC region. Though all countries have made progress in putting in place relevant laws and policies, greater investments are required to ensure their implementation, including the integration of SRHR, HIV and GBV services, so that all survivors are able…, Domestic financing: ,  No SADC country has met the ‘Abuja Declaration’ target of allocating 15% of their national budgets to health. Four countries have allocated more than 10% of their national budget to health. Countries need to accelerate domestic funding given declining donor investments if progress is to be made in achieving Universal Health Coverage, and to…, ###,  , Notes to editors: , The SADC scorecard is published every two years and tracks 20 indicators across SADC Member States, including information on rates of maternal and neonatal mortality, adolescent birth rates, family planning, HIV infections and treatment, STIs, including HPV, number of health facilities offering SRHR services and schools offering sexuality…, Explore the scorecard, The SADC SRHR Strategy (2019 - 2030) serves as a policy and programmatic framework for Member States to ensure that all people in SADC enjoy a healthy sexual and reproductive life, have sustainable access, coverage, and quality SRHR services, information, and education; and can fully realize and exercise their SRHR. The 16 Member States in SADC…

At the end of January 2024, rumours spread throughout Moroni, the capital of the Union of the Comoros, and across social media networks regarding passengers on a boat from Tanzania who had just arrived in Moroni and exhibiting symptoms of strange illness characterized by diarrhea and vomiting. Rumor has it that one of them even died. The Ministry…

Nairobi, 10 February 2026, – Nearly 1 in five children, an estimated 41 million, are engaged in child labour in Eastern and Southern Africa, according to a new UNICEF Data Brief, with the region accounting for almost one-third of the global total and the highest number of children in hazardous work, including mining and construction. “Children belong in classrooms, not in…, Link to Data Brief, :  https://unicef.link/45SOq1w   Sambilahatsa 12 years old, dropped out of school and works in the Vohibola mica mine in the Anosy region, 25 kilometers north from Amboasary-sud. UNICEF/UN0673616/Andrianantenaina

JUBA/NEW YORK, 3rd February 2026 - , More than 450,000 children are at risk of acute malnutrition as the hostilities are causing mass displacement and halting of critical health and nutrition services in Jonglei state, warned UNICEF in South Sudan. An upsurge in violent clashes in Jonglei since the beginning of 2026 has reportedly left at least 250,000 people displaced, especially in…