Our work for children in West and Central Africa
Discover how UNICEF is working with governments, communities and partners to help every child survive, learn and thrive
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Our regional priorities
To respond to the challenges facing children in West and Central Africa and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, UNICEF is focusing its efforts for 2026-2029 on two interconnected priorities: improving child, newborn and maternal health, and expanding access to quality education.
West and Central Africa continues to bear the world's highest burden of preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths. Despite progress over recent decades, millions of children remain at risk due to limited access to quality health, nutrition and primary healthcare services.
UNICEF helps strengthen resilient, equitable and climate-responsive health and nutrition systems that reach every child and every mother, including in the most fragile settings.
Focus areas:
- Stronger primary healthcare and nutrition systems.
- Immunization and child survival.
- Maternal, newborn and adolescent health.
- Community-based health services.
- Health emergency preparedness and response.
- Climate-resilient health systems.
- Gender-responsive and inclusive health and nutrition services.
Millions of children across West and Central Africa remain out of school, while many more are not acquiring the foundational skills they need to reach their full potential. Despite progress in recent decades, rapid population growth, persistent inequalities and recurrent crises continue to put pressure on education systems.
UNICEF helps ensure that every child has access to inclusive, equitable and quality learning opportunities, from early childhood through adolescence.
Focus areas:
- Equitable access to quality education.
- Foundational learning and skills development.
- Inclusion and girls' education.
- Safe and inclusive learning environments.
- Schools as entry points to deliver integrated services.
- Climate-resilient and shock-responsive education systems.
Youth skills, employability and active citizenship.
How we create lasting results
Improving children's lives requires more than delivering services. It means strengthening the systems, partnerships and communities that support children every day.
Across West and Central Africa, UNICEF works with governments, communities, regional institutions and young people to scale solutions that reach the most vulnerable children and create lasting change.
We accelerate results by:
- Empowering adolescent girls and young people as leaders, advocates and agents of change in their communities.
- Engaging communities to strengthen participation, accountability and the delivery of services that respond to children's needs.
- Advancing public financing for children, helping ensure that essential services receive the resources they need.
- Building strong partnerships with governments, civil society, the private sector and regional organizations.
- Using data, evidence and innovation to better understand children's needs, inform decisions and scale effective solutions.
These approaches help countries build stronger, more resilient systems that can reach every child, including the most vulnerable, and respond to the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Support UNICEF
Children are at the heart of West and Central Africa's future. Together, we can help ensure that every child has the opportunity to survive, learn, be protected and reach their full potential.
