Health

Smiling is contagious and these happy children from around the world are sure to put a smile on your face! Find out what's been making them smile this year: Above: 13-month-old Jonaila from the Philippines is grinning from ear to ear the day before her first routine immunizations. UNICEF procures and distributes vaccines and other essential…

Following research and analysis and considering lessons learned in the region , UNICEF Argentina identified that one of the key enablers to ensuring knowledge and access to nutritious food and improving healthy eating behaviours was through the adoption of the Front of Packaging (FOP) labelling legislation . To make the case for the adoption of…

Poor nutrition and anaemia, in particular, negatively impact learning outcomes: in Malawi,  undernourished children are more likely to drop out of school, achieving 1.5 years less education, and 18 per cent of all grade repetitions are associated with stunting. In response, the Government, with support from UNICEF, piloted two integrated school…

NEW YORK, 28 November 2022 – Around 110,000 children and adolescents (0-19 years) died from AIDs-related causes during 2021, according to the latest UNICEF global snapshot on children and HIV and AIDS. Meanwhile, another 310,000 were newly infected, bringing the total number of young people living with HIV to 2.7 million. Ahead of World AIDS Day,…

To respond to children’s learning and growth needs holistically, the Government of India is investing in and prioritising linkages among education, health and food systems. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human Resource and Development, with technical guidance from UNICEF, launched the School Health and Wellness Programme…

When Camsus Joseph became pregnant, she decided to leave Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Joseph moved back to her home village, Toirac, in the southwest of the country. For her, the instability and violence in Port-au-Prince was overwhelming. Joseph also wanted to be closer to her family. For the time being her husband, Claudy Delice, stayed…, Serving a community recovering from an earthquake, This region continues to deal with the aftermath of the earthquake and a longstanding lack of infrastructure. That presents significant challenges when it comes to providing primary health care services to children like Anne-Djounaïka.   A street scene in the centre of Les Cayes, a small city in the south of Haiti that was badly impacted by the…, Challenging circumstances in Haiti's capital, Back in Port-au-Prince, health workers are faced with difficult circumstances. The aftermath of natural disasters, political instability, violent protests over price hikes, fuel shortages and continued clashes between armed groups have all served to increase the challenges.   Motorcyclists and other drivers crowd around a gas pump at a station in…

Worldwide, nearly 220,000 children and adolescents aged 0–19 years die annually due to road traffic injuries. That is more than 600 preventable road deaths among children and young people each day – or a death almost every two minutes.  The guidance aims to:  raise awareness about the magnitude, impacts and risk factors of child and adolescent…

Shaneen was just 26 weeks into her pregnancy when she suddenly went into labour. “I had no hope when the baby was arriving so early,” she remembers.   Despite her worries, she delivered a healthy son, Mateen. “When he was born, he started crying. The doctor told me that he is in good health. This planted hope in my heart.”  Mateen was rushed to an…, How kangaroo mother care can help a baby and caregiver bond, Mateen is among the babies who are benefiting from kangaroo mother care. It’s a method that helps infants to adapt to life outside the womb. Skin-to-skin contact is a core component. The baby snuggles on the parent's chest, finding a position that is comfortable, often with a blanket wrapped around them, almost like a kangaroo’s protective pouch…, The transition from incubator to going home, Loujian is another mother who’s thankful for kangaroo mother care. Her daughter Rose was born 12 weeks early. After 45 days on the unit, Loujian was finally able to take her home. Rose is now 6 months old and Loujian has brought her in for a follow up visit.  Loujian holds her daughter while sitting on a chair at the kangaroo mother care unit. “I…, Meet the healthcare hero running the ward, Alwand Rafeeq is the head of the neonatal section. She’s incredibly thankful for the work that she’s a part of every day.   “I love my job very much and I feel a great commitment to these children,” she says. “I feel very proud of myself and the staff that make sure these babies leave here in good health.”  Alwand Rafeeq stands next to an…

HA NOI, 11 November 2022 – UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell concluded a three-day visit to Viet Nam, commending the country for its many gains for children. Russell also called for urgent action to address challenges like malnutrition and inequalities that have been exacerbated by COVID-19 and climate shocks. “In the past few decades,…

LUCKNOW/UTTAR PRADESH, India, 9 November 2022 - UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas travelled to Uttar Pradesh in northern India this week to visit UNICEF programmes helping to improve children’s education, and access to health, nutrition, and protection. During the two-day visit, Chopra Jonas met adolescent girls from UNICEF-…

Progress towards universal sanitation is alarmingly off track, unevenly distributed between countries, and inadequate to eliminate the inequalities to ensure that the most vulnerable are reached. In 2020, the JMP estimated that 3.6 billion people globally lacked safely managed services, and that the rate at which sanitation coverage was increasing…

AMMAN, 24 October 2022 – “The fast pace of the cholera outbreak in Syria and Lebanon is alarming and the risks of the disease further spreading to other countries in the region call for immediate action. Urgent support is needed to respond and contain the spread of the disease. “The acute epidemic in Syria has left over 20,000 suspected cases with…