News and stories

DAKAR/NAIROBI, 8 December 2021, - UNICEF has received a new grant from the European Union’s Humanitarian Aid to help roll out COVID-19 vaccination in 12 countries in Eastern, Southern, West and Central Africa. The 18-month joint programme will help ensure that as vaccines arrive, countries are supported and vaccines reach the whole population, including the most vulnerable.…, Team Europe, , to provide support against the pandemic around the world. In addition to being a leading donor to the COVAX facility, the EU is providing a total of €100 million in humanitarian assistance to support the rollout of vaccination campaigns in Africa, in cooperation with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC),” said…

Brazzaville, Geneva, Nairobi, – Botswana has become the first high-burden country to be certified for achieving an important milestone on the path to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV by the World Health Organization (WHO). High-burden HIV countries are defined as those with more than 2 per cent of pregnant women living with the virus. Botswana has achieved the “…

NAIROBI, 25 NOVEMBER 2021 –, “At least 13 school children and four school staff are among dozens reported to have been injured when a bomb detonated near a school in Mogadishu, Somalia in the early hours of Thursday morning. The blast is said to have claimed the lives of at least eight people. The bombing also damaged the school and its facilities. “Schools – and any other…

LONDON, United Kingdom, 23 November, 2021, : YouTube Originals today announced its collaboration with, Moonbug Entertainment, in partnership with UNICEF for the premiere of “Supa Strikas: Rookie Season” out of the UK, along with the release of the official trailer. “Supa Strikas: Rookie Season” is the prequel to the global, hit football animated series, “Supa Strikas.” “Supa Strikas: Rookie Season,” consists of 12 episodes with the first six launching, 3, December at 9am (GMT), on the official, THE SUPA STRIKAS YOUTUBE CHANNEL, and the, YouTube Kids, app. The six remaining episodes will roll out in early 2022 and will also be available then in Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, German and Russian catering to the brand’s global audience. “Supa Strikas: Rookie Season” is the original story of star striker, Shakes, and how he made it to the world’s greatest football team, the Supa Strikas! This…, ASSETS: , Watch the official trailer for “Supa Strikas Rookie Season, ”, here, . , Press interested in embedding the, “Supa Strikas: Rookie Season” trailer, directly into their stories can use this link: https://youtu.be/szM158ePeEM Press images found, here, . , Screeners available, upon request.  , About YouTube Kids & Family Originals:, “Supa Strikas Rookie Season” is the latest series from an expanding roster of YouTube Originals focused on kids and family, including the award-winning “ Lockdown ,” and recent hits such as “ Onyx Family Dinner ,” “ BookTube Jr., ” “Get Curious with Vice President Harris,” “ Growing with Lottie Dottie, ” “ The Workout Badges ,” “ Kid Correspondent…, About YouTube Originals:, YouTube Originals are award-winning series, specials and livestream events for YouTube’s two billion active monthly users that entertain, inspire, connect, and educate audiences through authentic storytelling from YouTube creators, music artists and celebrities. By tapping into the platform’s growing global community, fan engagement product…

Kasane, 20 November 2021 –,  The four Presidents of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe marked this year’s World Children’s Day, at a unique cross-border event in the history of World Children’s Day celebrations, with over one-hundred children at the Kazungula Bridge in Kasane, Botswana. The bridge, stretching nearly one km across the Zambezi River, connecting Botswana…, Notes for editors:, Photos and b-roll of Kazungula Bridge lit up blue will be available Saturday evening. Photos and b-roll of activities across Eastern and Southern Africa available here: https://weshare.unicef.org/Folder/2AMZIF6JINPY    

Johannesburg, South Africa, – In a region where development gains are reversing because of multiple hazards from climate change to conflict, disasters and now the COVID-10 pandemic, leaders from East and Southern Africa (ESA) called for empowering the youth and protecting their health and well-being to achieve the common goals. In a recent event, Ministers of Education and…

“UNICEF is deeply concerned about the impact on children in Eswatini from the deteriorating security situation amid civil unrest.  The response to this ongoing crisis should first and foremost respect and protect the fundamental rights of children under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  “Children have continued to be caught up in…

NAIROBI, 12 October 2021, – UNICEF and the African Council of Religious Leaders - Religions for Peace (ACRL-RfP) on Tuesday 5, October, convened an Interfaith virtual conference this week to advocate for the safe reopening of all schools in Eastern and Southern Africa and to keep them open. The online event was a follow-up to the two-day Faith and Science in Conversation…

BRAZZAVILLE/NAIROBI/DAKAR, 10th October 2021, – At least one in seven children in sub-Saharan Africa experiences significant psychological hardship. As the world marks World Mental Health Day, UNICEF and WHO shine a light on the need for increased investment and access to mental health prevention and response services on the continent. Children and adolescents are always at risk of developing…, h., The most recent data indicates that on average, African ministries of health allocate about 90 US cents per capita to mental health, up from 10 US cents from the 2016 report. This is often allocated to large psychiatric institutions, in the bigger cities with only about 15 per cent getting to the primary and the community health levels. “COVID and…

NAIROBI/BRUSSELS, 7 OCTOBER 2021,  – UNICEF has received a new grant from the European Union’s Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) to help in the fight against severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in East Africa. The three-year joint programme (16 million Euro for the first year, in 2021) aims at increasing coverage and sustainability for treating severe acute malnutrition in Ethiopia, Somalia and…

NAIROBI/JOHANNESBURG, 18 September 2021 – Famed Zimbabwean-born, South African rugby star Tendai Mtawarira, nicknamed ‘The Beast’, has joined UNICEF’s call in urging schools in Eastern and Southern Africa to remain open and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for parents to send their children to school. “I am deeply worried about the futures…, Note to editors:, Mtawarira is a decorated rugby star who played for the South African national rugby team since 2008. He was named in South Africa's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, when South Africa went on to win the tournament and become World Champions. He also holds the record for the most Super Rugby caps by a South African with 160 caps. Mtawarira…

Nairobi / Johannesburg, Tuesday 27 July 2021, – UNICEF estimates that 40 per cent of all school-aged children across Eastern and Southern Africa are currently not in school due to COVID19-induced closures and pre-pandemic levels of out of school children.  Across the region, we are seeing re-closing of schools mid-year due to recent COVID-19 surges, with over 32 million children estimated to…