Young child survival and development
Newsline
Child Health Days brings vital treatments to rural Somalia
HARGEISA, Somalia, 2 January 2009 – Ahmed Mahamoud says that he had been too busy to take his son to be vaccinated. His son Shafie, age six, is living with the consequences—he contracted measles during a recent outbreak in Northwest Somalia.
UNICEF working to eradicate Guinea worm disease in Niger
YOGARE VILLAGE, Niger, 29 December 2008 – Not a day passes without Kadri Ne Zeilou Beidari remembering the time when both her twin sons contracted Guinea worm disease.
Japanese grant provides clean water and sanitation for DR Congo schools
MONGA FULA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 17 December 2008 – Kiboko Primary school was built in the 1950s, before the Democratic Republic of Congo gained independence. It has 363 pupils, including 169 girls and, until recently, it had no sanitation facilities or sources of safe drinking water.
Children of Iraq make an ‘Appeal’ to government leaders
BAGDHAD, Iraq, 12 December 2008 – The Iraq Children’s Appeal, crafted by and for young people, was launched in Baghdad recently, as part of a special project between UNICEF and the non-governmental organization Al-Amal to help promote a culture of children’s rights in Iraq
Launch of the first World Report on Child Injury Prevention in Hanoi
HANOI, Viet Nam, 10 December 2008 – A ceremony was held today in Hanoi to mark the launch of the first World Report on Child Injury Prevention. The report was jointly prepared by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of Viet Nam, with input from more than 180 experts from 56 different countries.
World Bank and UNICEF strengthen funding collaboration
NEW YORK, USA, 3 December 2008 – The World Bank and UNICEF have strengthened their collaborative partnership in an effort to ensure the effective and smooth flow of funds in emergency, conflict and post conflict situations.
Nigerian First Lady Hajia Turai Yar'Adua supports maternal and newborn health with 'Mama Kits'
ABUJA, Nigeria, 4 December 2008 – Nigerian First Lady Hajia Turai Yar'Adua has pledged her commitment to maternal mortality reduction in Nigeria.
Effects of war in focus on the Universal Day of the Child
NEW YORK, USA, 21 November 2008 – Ishmael Beah, Grace Akallo and Kon Kelie have all survived the experience of being child soldiers. By speaking out about their own suffering and unlikely survival, they have become powerful advocates for the plight of children in armed conflict.
Uganda mounts a major fight against malaria in northern districts
OYAM DISTRICT, Uganda, 19 November 2008 – The Government of Uganda has launched a large-scale malaria campaign here in the country’s northern Lango sub-region. It is the latest effort to combat malaria, a preventable disease that is the top killer of children under the age of five in Uganda.
Goodwill Ambassador Joel Madden visits water projects in Central African Republic
BANGUI, Central African Republic, 10 November 2008 – UNICEF USA Goodwill Ambassador Joel Madden has seen firsthand the deadly threat unsafe drinking water poses for thousands of children living in the Central African Republic (CAR).
Namibia launches pilot project for birth registration
WINDHOEK, Namibia, 31 October 2008 – Declaring that every child has a right to a name and a nationality, the Government of Namibia – in collaboration with UNICEF – has launched a pilot programme to ensure that all children born in hospital are registered at birth.
Drought threatens child health and survival in northern Kenya
TURKANA, Kenya, 31 October 2008 – Turkana district in northern Kenya is on the brink of disaster. There's been no rain for months, the forecast is grim and thousands of children are at risk.
Delivering on the front lines: Maternal health in conflict, post-conflict and emergency situations
NEW YORK, USA, 29 October 2008 – Providing for the needs of pregnant women and mothers in conflict, post-conflict and emergency situations can be a major challenge. During armed conflict, the well-being of women is threatened by physical, sexual and psychological abuse, and vital maternal care services are typically disrupted by the devastation of health infrastructure.
Panama first in region to provide free HPV vaccine to young adolescent girls
PANAMA CITY, Panama, 28 October 2008 – Panama is the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean to provide the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine to young adolescent girls, free of charge.
Villagers build latrines for better hygiene and child survival in Sierra Leone
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 28 October 2008 – Mahmud Konneh recently finished building a latrine in his village, Tilorma, in the Kenema District of eastern Sierra Leone. It is one of the 30 new latrines that have been constructed by Tilorma villagers under the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach.
‘Paint for the Planet’ engages young artists in the fight against climate change
NEW YORK, USA, 27 October 2008 – Andrew Bartolo, 15, of San-Gwann, Malta, has a talent for painting. His latest work, which depicts penguins fleeing to unfamiliar territory due to the effects of climate change, earned him a trip to United Nations headquarters.
Providing free anti-malarial treatment to pregnant women in Togo
GOUMOU-KOPE, Togo, 21 October 2008 – Akouvi, a mother of two, has just walked three kilometres to a health centre in this village near Aného, in the Maritime region of Togo. Four months pregnant, she has come to the clinic for her first pre-natal check-up. She is no stranger to tragedy.
In Georgia, help for disabled children affected by conflict
GENEVA, Switzerland, 17 October 2008 – For a moment during the recent war in and around South Ossetia, Georgia, the front line nearly passed through the Senaki Institute, a residential school for 105 mentally and physically disabled children abandoned by their parents. In the opening days of the conflict, a bomb flattened an adjacent building.
Global Handwashing Day celebrated in 700 schools across Angola
LUANDA, Angola, 17 October 2008 – On the first-ever Global Handwashing Day, 15 October, students and teachers from more than 700 participating schools across Angola engaged in symbolic acts of handwashing and listened to government leaders speak out about the importance of using water and soap.
At Almaty conference, young people share their ideas on global health care
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 16 October 2008 – Young people from Brazil, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malta, Philippines, Tanzania and the United States of America gathered in Almaty to take part in the International Conference to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the signing of the Alma-Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care.
A million Ethiopian children lather up with soap on Global Handwashing Day
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, 16 October 2008 – Addis Ababa’s Maskal Square came alive in the spirit of handwashing yesterday as 1 million Ethiopian children united to wash their hands with soap and water in celebration of the first-ever Global Handwashing Day.
Star cricketer Sachin Tendulkar promotes handwashing in India
CHAANDIGARH, India, 16 October 2008 – Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and his teammates joined an estimated 100 million school children around the country yesterday in lathering up for better health and hygiene as part of the first Global Handwashing Day.
Health progress and challenges, 30 years after the Alma-Ata Declaration
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 15 October 2008 – At the global health conference marking the 30th anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration on primary health care, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said that health systems had to be scaled up through dynamic collaboration among governments, international partners, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.
In Kazakhstan, agency leaders launch global study on health care inequities
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 14 October 2008 – At the launch today of ‘World Health Report 2008’ on primary health care, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said an overarching theme of the report is the need to improve the effectiveness of health systems around the world.
In DR Congo, community-based clinics lead the fight against child malnutrition
KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 14 October 2008 – The locality of Binza Meteo is one of the poorest in Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo. The roads are in a bad shape, water and electricity are scarce and most people do not have a steady job.
Puppets and peers teach Indonesian children the importance of handwashing
KLATEN, Indonesia, 10 October 2008 – Students at a small rural elementary school here are learning a lesson that could save their lives. It’s a simple habit that many people around the world take for granted: being able to wash their hands with soap.
The Wiggles donate a song to UNICEF for first Global Handwashing Day
NEW YORK, USA, 9 October 2008 – The popular Australian children’s musical entertainers, The Wiggles, have produced and donated song to UNICEF to mark the first-ever Global Handwashing Day, to be observed on 15 October.
UNICEF, Pampers and Salma Hayek take aim at maternal and newborn tetanus elimination
GENEVA, Switzerland, 6 October 2008 – A global review confirms that the elimination of maternal and newborn tetanus – a preventable disease responsible for the death of one baby approximately every three minutes and up to 30,000 mothers each year – could be achieved by 2012.
Executive Director promotes the rights of Roma children in Albania
TIRANA, Albania, 3 October 2008 – UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, on a two-day visit to Albania, highlighted the plight of Roma children and efforts to strengthen the juvenile justice system.
Health Week keeps up momentum on improving child survival in Rwanda
KIGALI, Rwanda, 29 September 2008 – Rwanda recently celebrated its first-ever week to promote the health and well-being of its women and children.
Malawi launches ‘Letter to the Community’ initiative to promote child survival
LILONGWE, Malawi, 25 September 2008 – For the first time in Malawi’s history, 25,000 communities will soon receive personalized letters from the Minister of Health and other national leaders. The letters contain messages promoting child survival and development.
At General Assembly event, a call for equity and action on development goals
NEW YORK, USA, 23 September 2008 – On the opening day of the United Nations General Assembly session yesterday, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said there is a long way to go to reach the Millennium Development Goals by their 2015 target date. And the challenges are greatest in countries dealing with conflict and post-conflict situations, as well as those most affected by HIV/AIDS.
For Peace Day, Afghan children get a chance to be immunized
NANGAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, 22 September 2008 – Afghan and international forces, including the Taliban, have been asked to lay down their weapons in support of the biggest Peace Day that Afghanistan has ever experienced.
UNICEF report calls deaths of mothers ‘an unspeakable tragedy’ for women and children
NEW YORK, USA, 19 September 2008 – A report released by UNICEF today reveals a shocking discrepancy between the toll that pregnancy and childbirth takes on women in the developing world compared with those in industrialized nations.
As child deaths continue to decline, UNICEF calls for increased efforts
NEW YORK, USA, 12 September 2008 – Fewer children under the age of five are dying today than in past years, according to the latest data from UNICEF. Globally, the number of young children who died in 2007 dropped to 9.2 million, compared to 12.7 million deaths in 1990.
Regional Director launches new survey to support development in Lebanon
BEIRUT, 8 September 2008 – Recognizing the need to address economic disparities and gaps in social services throughout the country, the Government of Lebanon is working with UNICEF to develop a series of development indicators on the well-being of children.
Massive national campaign for accelerated child survival in Tanzania
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, 4 September 2008 – In a country such as Tanzania, where most families survive on less than $1 a day, special medical care is an unaffordable luxury. Thanks to the government’s efforts, however, most services are now free of charge in its health facilities countrywide.
Breastfeeding vital for Myanmar’s cyclone-affected children
SOUTHERN BOGALAY, Myanmar, 7 August 2008 – Ma Khin Mar San lives in Kyonegyi Konethechaung, one of the rural islands in Southern Bogalay in the Irrawaddy Delta.
Insecticide-treated bednets save lives in Ethiopia
SHEBEDINO, Ethiopia, 5 August 2008 – The rainy season is well underway in much of Ethiopia, but while the rains bring hope to rural communities, they also create ideal breeding conditions for malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
In Togo, food insecurity makes exclusive breastfeeding more of a challenge
ZOWLA, Togo, 1 August 2008 – In this village in the Maritime region of Togo, Véronique the tailor is well known. It is not for her dressmaking skills that she is respected, but for her work as head of the local breastfeeding support group.
UNICEF urges more support for mothers as World Breastfeeding Week begins
NEW YORK, USA, 1 August 2008 – Celebrated in 120 countries around the globe, World Breastfeeding Week kicks off today with an exhortation to governments, health workers and women everywhere to give increased support to new mothers who need the space, time and encouragement to breastfeed their babies.
UNICEF Executive Director concludes visit to Madagascar
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, 30 July 2008 – UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman concluded her visit to Madagascar by launching a tetanus campaign in the rural town of Andilamena with the Minister of Health, Dr. Ralainirina Paul Richard, and local officials.
UNICEF joins UNFPA and Columbia University to promote maternal and newborn care
NEW YORK, USA, 18 July 2008 – Acting on a shared commitment to women and their families, UNICEF has joined the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in an alliance to help reduce maternal and newborn mortality worldwide.
‘The Survival Project’: CNN programme shines spotlight on UNICEF work
NEW YORK, USA, 3 July 2008 – UNICEF will be the focus of a special global broadcast on CNN and CNN International this Sunday.
New UNICEF report reveals progress made in reducing iodine deficiency
NEW YORK, USA, 26 June 2008 – A new UNICEF report reveals that, over a period of almost two decades, enormous progress has been made in protecting children and mothers from the debilitating effects of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD).
UNICEF-supported outreach brings free health services to Kenyan families
NAIROBI, Kenya, 16 June 2008 – Agnes Mangolo smiled proudly as she lifted her five-month-old daughter, Elizabeth, off the scale at the clinic at Mbita Primary School in the Kinango district of Kenya’s Coast Province. The nutritionist had just confirmed that the child’s weight was within the recommended levels for her age.
Japan donation supports maternal health and child survival in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan, 10 June 2008 – Under a new agreement signed with UNICEF, the Government of Japan will provide $4.3 million to health programmes in Afghanistan. Approximately 7.5 million children will benefit from improvements in infectious disease prevention and control as a result of the funding.
UNICEF and Armenian postal service join forces to stamp out child mortality
YEREVAN, Armenia, 3 June 2008 – A new postage stamp, the first of its kind ever issued in Armenia, was launched here yesterday. This stamp will not only get a letter sent to its intended recipient, but will also publicize the issue of neonatal mortality in an effort to reduce infant deaths worldwide.
POINT OF VIEW / Ann M. Veneman: Child survival in Africa – seven signs of hope
TOKYO, Japan, 28 May 2008 – The following op-ed by UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman was published today by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper in Japan. Ms. Veneman is attending an African development summit in Yokohama.
‘The State of Africa’s Children’ calls for united action to boost child survival
YOKOHAMA, Japan, 28 May 2008 – UNICEF globally launched ‘The State of Africa’s Children 2008: Child Survival’ in Yokohama City, Japan, at the occasion of the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV).
Mia Farrow travels to CAR to support the fight against polio
BANGUI, Central African Republic , 17 May 2008 – Actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow has travelled to the Central African Republic (CAR) for a week-long visit to highlight the plight of thousands of women and children who desperately need the world’s attention.
On World Malaria Day, new goals for prevention and treatment announced
NEW YORK, USA, 25 April 2008 – A bold initiative announced today by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon brings together the many forces fighting malaria to focus on one goal: providing universal coverage of malaria-control measures in Africa, where 90 per cent of malaria cases occur, by the end of 2010.
‘Rethinking Poverty’ conference cites risks to children posed by rising global insecurity
NEW YORK, USA, 22 April 2008 – Participants in an international conference here have been told that global uncertainty and an increase in terrorism and violence will lead to an increase in the number of people – including children – living in poverty.
Countdown to 2015: MPs join call to boost maternal and child survival
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 18 April 2008 – ‘Countdown to 2015’, a report on maternal, newborn and child survival, was released at the 118th annual Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) assembly in Cape Town this week, followed by a three-day conference where over 500 participating global health experts and Members of Parliament were urged to accelerate efforts to reach Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 on child and maternal survival.
Parliamentarians lead change for mothers and children
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 18 April 2008 – Parliamentarians from all over the world showed their support this week as more than 200 Members of Parliament gathered in Cape Town for the 118th assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and a joint UNICEF-IPU panel on maternal, newborn and child health.
Countdown to 2015: Empowering Nepalese health workers to save the youngest lives
ACHHAM, Nepal, 15 April 2008 – Mathura Shahi, 30, presses the timer button and counts the breath intake of Sajjana, a month-old baby snuggling in her grandfather's arms.
Countdown to 2015: Health centre in Senegal works to reduce child mortality
MOUNTING HAMADY, Senegal, 10 April 2008 – Bintou Sabaly, 21, has given birth to three healthy children in the remote Senegalese village of Mounting Hamady, where no one has access to running water or electricity.
UNICEF promotes safe sanitation for World Water Day 2008
NEW YORK, USA, 19 March 2008 – On World Water Day tomorrow, as on every other day, some 2.5 billion people will be ‘doing their business’ somewhere other than in a toilet or latrine. That is not a statistic many people want to examine too closely, but it is crucial data for efforts to reduce child mortality.
UNICEF flagship report says community health programmes are key to reducing child mortality
NEW YORK, 22 January 2008 – Fatma, 2, is one of the thousands of Kenyan children whose lives have been saved by a cheap and simple preventive health measure.
Child-survival campaign reaches families displaced by conflict in Mogadishu
AFGOYE, Somalia, 18 December 2007 – Hawa Ali, a mother of two, fled fighting in the Somali capital of Mogadishu last month and found refuge in the makeshift Eelasha Biyasha settlement here. This camp and others like it, along a 30-km stretch between Mogadishu and Afgoye, are now home to some 200,000 children, women and men displaced by conflict.
UNICEF Kenya brings children’s issues to election campaign platform
NAIROBI, Kenya, 17 December 2007 – Four hundred children, their teachers and UNICEF staff members brought a section of Kenya’s capital to a standstill as they marched through the streets with music and banners proclaiming their arrival.
‘Miracle women’ help combat under-five mortality in Nepal
KAVRE, Nepal, 6 December 2007 – Nanda Kumari trudges through hillsides blanketed with the colours of ripening maize, trying to steer clear of buffalo as she passes along a narrow trail.
Zimbabwe’s Child Health Days help to reduce measles and boost child survival
MUPANDAWANA, Zimbabwe, 29 November 2007 – One can still see the legacy of polio in the limping walks of a handful of villagers in Mupandawana, a small community with a population of just 300.
UNICEF Executive Director ends first visit to Sudan with sense of optimism
KHARTOUM, Sudan, 5 November 2007 – UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman wrapped up her first visit to Sudan yesterday, expressing optimism at progress she had witnessed for women and children, while noting more efforts were needed, especially in tackling high rates of child and maternal mortality.
Neige’s story: Recovering from malnutrition in the Central African Republic
BOSSANGOA, Central African Republic, 25 October 2007 – Neige giggles shyly and hides behind her grandmother’s shawl. Just three years old, she lives with 11 other family members in a tiny home on the banks of the Ouham River in northern Central African Republic (CAR).
Mobile health workers deliver essential services to Brazilian families
FORTIM, Brazil, 1 October 2007 – Health agent Maria Dos Santos travels on foot, visiting as many as 20 homes a day and treating everything from diabetes to heart disease, as well as offering a host of services to pregnant women and new mothers.
Leaders at Clinton Global Initiative renew commitments to health and education
NEW YORK, USA, 26 September 2007 – A $30 million pledge to help educate children affected by conflict, especially in Iraq and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and a pledge of $1 billion to help improve maternal and child health worldwide were announced at the Clinton Global Initiative today.
Community volunteers help avert potential health crises before they happen
MADAROUNFA, Niger, 25 September 2007 – When Mourja Abou’s 10-month-old son Nouhou fell ill two months ago, the mother of six knew exactly what to do. She used sugar, salt and clean water to prepare an oral rehydration solution for her son. She then continued to breastfeed him and added solid foods as he began to feel better.
In a child survival milestone, under-five deaths fall below 10 million per year
NEW YORK, USA, 13 September 2007 – The world has reached an important milestone on child survival. For the first time in modern history, the number of children dying before the age of five has fallen below 10 million.
In Zimbabwe, Child Health Days focus on polio immunization
HARARE, Zimbabwe, 28 June 2007 – On cue, the mothers clutch their babies and fall in with military precision. Vaccine cold boxes are lined up in the shade alongside them. Within a few minutes, a classroom has been transformed into an outreach immunization point for Zimbabwe’s biannual Child Health Days campaign.
Kenya training session is a milestone for community-based newborn care in Africa
NAIROBI, Kenya, 26 June 2007 – Twenty-year-old Evelyn Katunge doesn’t know what killed her babies. In April 2005, with the help of birth attendants in her Majengo home, a sprawling slum near downtown Nairobi, she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Her joy, however, was cruelly shattered when her first baby died within hours, soon followed by her other baby.
Senegal’s Child Survival Days focus on malaria prevention
DOUNGA WORO ALPHA, Senegal, 22 June 2007 – In this remote village at the Mauritanian border near Matam, northeastern Senegal, the 2007 Child Survival Days campaign is being remembered as a resounding success.
Jordan’s Queen Rania issues UNICEF’s worldwide call to action to aid Iraqi children
NEW YORK, USA, 23 May 2007 – Women and children are often the ones who bear the greatest burden of the turbulence and violence that comes with conflict.
ECHO and UNICEF promote Plumpy’nut production to improve child nutrition in Niger
NIAMEY, Niger, 18 May 2007 – Two years after Niger’s severe nutrition crisis, the sight of undernourished children is less common than it was, but chronic malnutrition still affects more than 50 percent of the country's young children. And 10 per cent of Niger’s children suffer from acute malnutrition, even when the harvests are good.
Lawmakers inspired by field visit to UNICEF Indonesia projects
LOMBOK, Indonesia, 15 May 2007 – More than a dozen lawmakers from around the world took time out from the recent Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly held in Bali to take a firsthand look at UNICEF projects on neighbouring Lombok Island.
Providing basic services to Gabon’s ‘people of the forest’
ESSENG, Gabon, 9 May 2007 – On a beautiful recent morning in this remote village in northern Gabon, men sat in the ‘corps de garde’ in the town square and women stood nearby with apprehensive but happy children running around them.
Overcoming obstacles to child survival and gender equality in Kosovo
PRISTINA, Kosovo, 1 May 2007 – Despite the progress made during the post-conflict period since 1999, the UN Administered Province of Kosovo remains one of the poorest territories with one of the most vulnerable economies in Europe.
UNICEF Seal of Approval project launches second edition in Brazil’s semi-arid region
QUEBRANGULO, Brazil, 26 April 2007 – Today marks the launch of the second edition of the UNICEF Municipal Seal of Approval in the Semi-Arid, taking place in the 11 states of Brazil’s most impoverished region.
Global partners gather in Tanzania to discuss maternal, newborn and child health
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, 19 April 2007 – Political leaders, health professionals, researchers and activists are meeting here this week for the first-ever assembly of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
Trio for Life: Birth registration, immunization and breastfeeding give children head start in Venezuela
MARACAIBO, Venezuela, 4 April 2007 – It was during the nationwide campaign called Trio for Life that eight-month-old Georgina first received her birth registration.
UNICEF and partners come together to help reduce maternal mortality in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan, 2 April 2007 – One in nine Afghan women dies during or shortly after pregnancy, accounting for one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Kabul’s Malalai Maternity Hospital, one of the busiest in Afghanistan delivering 80 to 100 babies a day, is working to ensure that more women live to see their children grow up.
Improving antenatal care for mothers and newborns in Iraq
AMMAN, Jordan, 30 January 2007 – For Nadtha, 21, her last few months of pregnancy were an anxious time. With one toddler demanding attention and another baby on the way, Nadtha was worried about how she would cope with the demands of her growing family. She wanted to be reassured that the delivery would go smoothly and that her baby would be healthy.
‘One-stop’ clinic helps new mothers keep their children healthy in Gambia
FAJIKUNDA, Gambia, 11 January 2007 – In September, Sarata Hydara gave birth to a healthy baby boy at the health clinic here in Fajikunda. In the first two weeks he grew nearly half a kilogram, which she learned when nurses weighed him.
Integrated centres provide healthy development for children in Iran
CHABAHAR, Iran, 10 January 2007 – Hessam, a nine-month-old baby, gurgles in appreciation of the soup that his mother is feeding him. So does Nazanin, 3, and other young children in the room.
Report finds nearly half of all children in Mozambique living in extreme poverty
NEW YORK, USA, 14 December 2006 – Almost half of Mozambique’s 10 million children are living in extreme poverty, according to ‘Childhood Poverty in Mozambique’, a United Nations report released today.
‘UNICEF Seal’ initiative saves and transforms children’s lives in Brazil’s semi-arid region
BRASILIA, Brazil, 6 December 2006 – UNICEF Brazil is awarding 146 municipalities in the country’s semi-arid region with the ‘Seal of Approved Municipality’, recognizing their achievements in improving the lives of children and adolescents over the past two years.
European governments and NGOs gauge progress toward ‘A World Fit for Children’
FLORENCE, Italy, 15 November 2006 – European governments who signed up to the ‘World Fit for Children’ agenda more than four years ago are being reminded to involve and consult with children if their pledge is to remain credible.
Tennis ace Serena Williams supports Ghana’s biggest health campaign
NUNGUA-ZONGO, Ghana, 6 November 2006 – For families across Ghana, yesterday was the day to get their young children immunized against deadly childhood diseases, boost their immunity against illness and receive free mosquito nets to help prevent malaria. It was the conclusion of the country’s week-long national integrated child health campaign, the largest such effort in Ghana to date.
Outpatient therapeutic feeding improves child nutrition in Ethiopia
SIDAMA ZONE, Ethiopia, 25 October 2006 – Fifteen-month-old Shurube Hatiso plays on her mother’s lap as they await the child’s weekly nutritional and medical check-up. It is provided by the non-governmental organization Action Contre la Faim (ACF) with the support of UNICEF and the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department.
Measles immunization campaign targets 29 million Nigerian children
EKEREMOR, Nigeria, 18 October 2006 – Nigeria has launched a massive immunization campaign to protect 29 million children against measles, a highly contagious virus that kills more Nigerian children than any other preventable disease.
‘Social Monitor’ finds 18 million children in poverty in southeastern Europe and CIS
NEW YORK, USA, 18 October 2006 – Some 18 million children are still living in extreme poverty in the countries of southeastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States – most of them former Soviet bloc nations.
Millions ‘Stand Up against Poverty’ and support the Millennium Development Goals
NEW YORK, USA, 16 October 2006 – Millions of people around the world have joined together to ‘Stand Up against Poverty’ – an effort to remind governments that they must keep their promises to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and eradicate extreme poverty.
Breaking the cycle of child abandonment in Tbilisi, Georgia
TBILISI, Georgia, 13 October 2006 – Niko, 4, is proud of his twin brothers, David and Georgi – siblings he almost never had the chance to know. His mother, Maia, was thinking of abandoning her boys because she could not care for them. Fortunately, Maia found the support she needed at the Mother and Infants’ Shelter in Tbilisi.
World leaders accelerate action to reduce child deaths and meet 2015 target
NEW YORK, USA, 18 September 2006 – World leaders gathered in New York today to accelerate global efforts to save the lives of some 10.5 million children under the age of five who die needlessly every year.
Fight for survival: Saving undernourished children in Niger
MAYAHI, Niger, 18 September 2006 – Seven-month-old Ramanatou has travelled nine km with her mother to the Mayahi District Hospital in Maradi. She is suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting and a high fever. Unable even to digest her mother’s breast milk, Ramanatou is severely malnourished.
Women health volunteers save children’s lives in Nepal
NEW YORK, USA, 15 September 2006 – Ganga Thapa has been a volunteer health worker for 16 years. She’s part of a growing network of women, supported by UNICEF, who bring essential care and medicines to children and mothers in remote Nepalese communities.
Health insurance for children and mothers slows child mortality in Bolivia
NEW YORK, USA, 14 September 2006 – An estimated 2.5 million children in Bolivia live in poverty. It lies at the root of the sickness and malnutrition that cause the vast majority of deaths among children under five. Many live miles from the nearest health services and can’t afford the cost of care.
Preventing malaria and improving child survival in Madagascar
ANKAZOMENAVONY, Madagascar, 11 September 2006 – Angeline, 9, lives in this small village, home to just a few dozen families in northwestern Madagascar.
Sierra Leone targets child and maternal mortality
BOMBALI DISTRICT, Sierra Leone, 11 July 2006 – Sinnah Kamara is a young mother in Binkolo, located in northern Sierra Leone’s Bombali district. Although she has two healthy children, she knows how fragile the survival chances of children are in her country.
Both treatment and education fight child malnutrition in Comoros
ANJOUAN ISLAND, Comoros, 11 July 2006 – “Lack of knowledge is one of the most important reasons for malnutrition in Comoros,” says the head of the Domoni Therapeutic Nutrition Centre, Maissara Chaharmane.
Peru community project promotes healthy development of Andean children
NEW YORK, USA, 29 June 2006 – The people from the Huama community in the Peruvian Andes know exactly what they want.
International conference calls on the world community to save 30 million young lives over next decade
NEW YORK, USA, 13 December 2005 – UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman is attending an international conference in London challenging the world to seize an unprecedented opportunity to save 30 million young lives. ‘Tracking Progress in Child Survival: Countdown to 2015’ is an international initiative calling for donors and governments to live up to their commitment to reduce child mortality by two thirds in the decade ahead.
New global Partnership seeks major reductions in maternal and child deaths
NEW YORK, 12 September 2005 – UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman today welcomed leading advocates for women and children to UNICEF’s global headquarters for the launch of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
Despite strong economy, poverty and poor healthcare are still challenges
NEW YORK, 27 July 2005 – Half a billion people in South Asia are living in poverty and suffering from the effects of poor health, according to a new report released by Pakistan’s Mahbub ul Haq Human Development Centre.
Madagascar: Progress in the fight against malaria
MAJAKANDRINA, Madagascar, 30 June 2005 – Her fever dangerously high, a small child rides to hospital in a UNICEF vehicle, the only available transportation. The hospital is several hours away, but she must go because her life is seriously threatened – as a result of a mosquito bite.
Integrated health services for children show ‘remarkable’ results, Veneman tells World Health Assembly
NEW YORK, 16 May 2005 – Child deaths in remote parts of West Africa have declined dramatically since UNICEF and its partners began an integrated health programme aimed at protecting children and their mothers.
Harvard meeting discusses overcoming barriers to child survival
BOSTON, 26 April 2005 - Every year some 10.8 million children under the age of five die from causes that could mostly be prevented. Reducing the child mortality among children under five by two thirds is one of the Millennenium Development Goals.
An integrated health campaign for Togo’s children
LOME, Togo, 8 March 2005 - Over 97 per cent of Togo’s children aged from 9 and 59 months received protection against four major childhood diseases during an unprecedented nationwide health campaign, according to a recent survey conducted by UNICEF.
UNICEF backs plans to save 3 million newborn babies each year
NEW YORK, 4 March 2005 - Three of the four million newborn babies who die worldwide each year could be saved by low-tech and low-cost interventions, according to a landmark series of articles launched by medical journal The Lancet.
Innocenti: child poverty on the rise in wealthy nations
NEW YORK, 1 March 2005 - The proportion of children living in poverty, or on less than $1 per day, has risen in most of the world’s developed countries since the early 1990’s, according to UNICEF’s latest report from the Innocenti Research Centre in Florence.
UNICEF gathers world experts to discuss poverty and children
NEW YORK, 17 February 2005 - Poverty is one of the biggest threats to children across the globe. UNICEF brought together today some of the world’s most renowned economists to discuss how policies can be developed to address the effects of poverty on children.
Pan-African Forum: Immunization as a way of building peace
DAKAR, Senegal, 19 October 2004 – Over the past two days, delegates at the Pan–African Forum on Building Trust for Immunization and Child Survival in Dakar have been busy creating a better Africa for children.
Pan-African Forum: Leaders confront threats to children’s survival
DAKAR, Senegal, 18 October 2004 – More than two hundred community and religious leaders from across Africa discussed the perils threatening the survival of Africa’s children, at the Pan-African Forum which opened here today.
UNICEF’s Bellamy addresses world’s paediatricians on new ways of increasing child survival
CANCUN/NEW YORK, 16 August 2004 – Several thousand paediatricians from around the world heard from UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy today about an innovative approach to child health care taking place in West Africa.
