11 September 2025

Obesity exceeds underweight for the first time among school-age children and adolescents globally

NEW YORK, 10 September 2025, –, Obesity surpassed underweight as the more prevalent form of malnutrition this year, affecting 1 in 10 – or 188 million – school-aged children and adolescents, and placing them at risk of life-threatening disease, UNICEF warned in a new report today. Feeding Profit: How Food Environ...
29 August 2025

Placing Children at the Heart of Jamaica’s Future

KINGSTON, 28 th of August 2025:, As Jamaica approaches its general elections, the choices made today will shape and strengthen the society that is evolving into one of hope, opportunity, and shared progress. At UNICEF, we believe there is one clear priority that must guide all political discussions: children. Chil...
26 August 2025

Your Voice, Your Vote

Wha gwaan Jamaican youth!? ðŸ‡¯ðŸ‡² Did you know that decisions made by politicians today shape the future you’ll live in tomorrow? Whether it’s about education, jobs, climate change, or safety, your voice matters. This guide is here to help you understand how elections work, why your participation is powerful, and how ...
21 August 2025

Your Voice, Your Vote

Wha gwaan Jamaican youth!? 🇯🇲 Did you know that decisions made by politicians today shape the future you’ll live in tomorrow? Whether it’s about education, jobs, climate change, or safety, your voice matters. This guide is here to help you understand how elections work, why your participation is powerful, and how ...
28 April 2025

Joint Statement: Celebrating a Healthier Future

Joint Statement, Celebrating a Healthier Future: Congratulations on the Cabinet Approval of the National School Nutrition Policy!, KINGSTON 12 April 2025: , Good nutrition is fundamental to every child's right to health. Yet, Jamaican children are exposed to unhealthy food environments, particularly in schools, wh...
29 November 2024

Fix My Food Jamaica

The Fix My Food Jamaica team has crafted an open letter calling for clear food labeling to protect Jamaica’s children and youth. Support the Fix My Food movement by signing the letter: The ‘Fix My Food’ initiative aims to bring together young people to mobilize support and action for a better food environment. Ri...
28 October 2024

Ja Youth Say Protecting Children Should be Top Priority

KINGSTON, 25 October 2024 – , Violence against children and the effects on their mental health were among the top issues that children and youth raised this week with UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Anne-Claire Dufay. The youths spoke passionately about the ways in which violen...
29 August 2022

How front-of-package warning labels can protect our health

[SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH VIDEO], Have you heard about front-of-package warning labels (FOPWL) for foods high in sugar, salt and fats? These are foods that can cause non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are responsible for 78 per cent of deaths in Jamaica. Sadly, 36 per cent of Jamaican children between 13 and 15 a...
22 August 2022

My old primary school gets five stars for healthiness!

[SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH VIDEO], As a former student of Mona Heights Primary School, and now UNICEF’s Nutrition Consultant, from the moment I stepped back onto the playground, I was overjoyed to see the great work being done to provide a school environment that demonstrates positive healthy nutrition and physical act...
25 May 2022

Protect Our Children’s Health: Introduce Octagonal Warning Labels in Jamaica

KINGSTON, MAY 25, 2022 – , Octagonal warning labels on foods high in fat, sodium and sugar are more effective at identifying unhealthy foods. That’s the finding from a 2021 Pan American Health Organization/University of Technology/Ministry of Health & Wellness study, which the Heart Foundation of Jamaica has u...
15 October 2019

Poor diets damaging children’s health worldwide, warns UNICEF

1 in 3 children under five is malnourished; 2 in 3 children under two live on poor diets, NEW YORK, 15 October 2019, – An alarmingly high number of children are suffering the consequences of poor diets and a food system that is failing them, UNICEF warned today in a new report on children, food and nutrition. The ...
13 May 2018

All Jamaican mothers deserve baby-friendly hospitals

Not many people know this, but my degree from UTech was in Child and Adolescent Development. So I know about the benefits of breastfeeding and it’s always been something I wanted to do when I was ready to be a mother. So it’s doubly important for me as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador that more mothers are able to bre...