Global

There is a dearth of data on the nature, dynamics and magnitude of Gender Based Violence (GBV) against girls in the first decade (age 0-11) globally, and even less in humanitarian settings. What we do know about violence against girls globally suggests that girls in this age range are experiencing and are at risk of sexual violence- including…

Despite significant advancements in reducing global child mortality and malnutrition, a substantial number of children still die due to preventable causes, including undernutrition. Maternal and child nutrition programmes have been instrumental in avoiding child mortality, yet they often grapple with insufficient resources, limiting their…

This brief guidance describes 'transformative' WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) and how it can strengthen efforts to improve child survival, nutrition, and development in early childhood. It presents the latest developments and good practices in applying transformative WASH through joint programming to contribute to better child nutrition and…

Three different families. Three different stories. With one thing in common: Whatever a family’s situation, growing up feeling loved makes a critical difference in a child’s life. A mother hugs her daughter in Bolivia Becoming a single parent in Bolivia has meant a radical change in Sandra’s life. > Read now A man hugs his granddaughter A…, Raising the next generation, “I don’t know yet if I am a good mother, I only know I love my daughter.” Sandra, mother of Nathaly In the northern outskirts of La Paz in Bolivia, many women face the challenge of raising children on their own in an environment marked by economic hardships and patriarchal traditions. For Sandra, who studies law in the morning and designs shawls…, Rebuilding a family, A man hugs his granddaughter. When a devastating earthquake hit Türkiye on 6 February 2023, 10-year-old Sidra and her family's life was changed forever. As Sidra navigates life after the disaster and the death of her father and sister, her grandfather Hassan has stepped in as a pillar of strength and support. A young girls sitting alongside her…, A safe place, A family of three - parents and their son in the middle. In the face of their own mental health challenges, Eleanor, a journalist, and Robin, a major crimes detective, always knew parenting wouldn't be easy. Eleanor, diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, has been living with these conditions since childhood.…, The power of parenting, Every child deserves to grow up in a loving, nurturing and safe environment. But providing nurturing care takes time and resources – things that many parents and caregivers don’t have.  UNICEF believes every parent and caregiver should receive the support they need to give their children the best possible start in life. Caregivers who receive the…

This brief guidance includes an introduction affirming our guiding principles based on the Nutrition Strategy, it subsequently presents the issue of iron deficiency anemia and the evidence around MNPs as a preventive measure. Given the strong evidence base, the guidance emphasizes that UNICEF prioritizes using MNPs to prevent iron deficiency…

What is the Child Nutrition Fund?, The Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) is a new financing mechanism designed to accelerate the scale-up of sustainable policies, programmes and supplies to end child wasting.  , Why do we need a Child Nutrition Fund?, Because child wasting is a tragedy. In 2020, an estimated 45 million children globally were estimated to be suffering from wasting in early life. About one-third of them require therapeutic feeding and care. Despite two decades of progress in reducing child malnutrition globally, the number of children with wasting is rising due to a perfect storm…, Who is the Child Nutrition Fund for?, The CNF is designed to support government-led efforts in some of the countries that carry among the highest numbers and/or proportion of children under 5 years of age with wasting. As such, the CNF will support government-led efforts in countries that have developed operational roadmaps as part of the United Nations Secretary-General’s  Global…, What actions will the Child Nutrition Fund scale up?, The CNF is designed to support the scale-up of five essential government-led actions for the early prevention, detection and treatment of child wasting in early childhood, as described in the GAP, recognizing that implementing partners may need to support the direct delivery of these interventions during humanitarian crises. These five actions,…, How will the Child Nutrition Fund add value?, The CNF aims to improve the coordination and transparency of financing for wasting by offering UNICEF and its partners a range of tools designed to achieve three specific goals: Goal 1: Incentivize, increase and prioritize the allocation of global resources to essential programmes and supplies for the early prevention, detection and treatment of…, How will the Child Nutrition Fund reach these goals?, The CNF aims to reach these three goals through working in partnership with governments and investors on coordination and advocacy and using three ‘windows’ that aim to incentivize, increase and prioritize the allocation of global and domestic resources to essential programmes and supplies for the early prevention, detection and treatment of child…

The Child Nutrition Fund is a new financing mechanism designed to accelerate the scale-up of sustainable policies, programmes and supplies to end child wasting. The CNF is designed to support government-led efforts in a selected number of countries that carry some of the highest numbers and/or proportion of children under 5 years of age with…

In 2022, UNICEF scaled up child protection prevention and response programming to address the most significant risk and protective factors across the humanitarian–development–peace nexus. This included strengthening family and parenting support to prevent violence in the home; expanding our work to address online child sexual exploitation and…

Being mentally healthy gives us the ability to enjoy life and cope with good and bad days. For children, it is vital to their ability to understand and manage their emotions, form nurturing and meaningful connections, play, learn and grow. The pandemic highlighted just how much our mental health is a reflection of the world around us. It isn't…, It starts at home, Safe and nurturing environments at home are fundamental to the emotional and psychological development of children and adolescents. The presence of a stable adult caregiver supports children’s and adolescents’ overall sense of wellbeing. In times of crises, re-establishing routines supports a child’s or adolescent’s coping and recovery.   While…, Caring for the caregiver  , Research  shows that supporting the mental health of parents and caregivers can avert instances of abuse, neglect, and adverse experiences during childhood.  When parents are supported and enabled to parent well, everyone benefits. Evidence-based parenting interventions have a positive impact on the mental well-being of both the caregivers and…, Family-friendly policies , The bottom line is that caregivers need time, resources and services to be the very best they can be. Family-friendly policies, defined as those which enable families to reconcile work and family life, are essential in this context.   Family-friendly policies, including paid parental leave; access to affordable, quality childcare; breastfeeding…, The role of government and business , Despite the clear benefits of family-friendly policies for children, families, businesses and economies at large, progress in the business and public policy spaces is lacking.   Globally,  the vast majority of working parents and caregivers have no or insufficient access to family-friendly policies, especially in informal work settings that fall…

Investing in MHPSS related education programmes is found to be of benefit for children and economies.  During emergencies, a complexity of variables can impact a child's mental health, exacerbating existing mental health conditions, reducing education participation, and worsening educational outcomes. Low educational attainment and mental health…

The UNICEF report "A Child Rights-Based Approach to Food Marketing" explores the impact of unhealthy food marketing on children's rights. The report highlights the harm caused by the marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks, including negative health outcomes, and sets out a child rights-based approach to food marketing. It provides an overview of…

As a young person, it can be hard to open up about our feelings and what we are experiencing. Starting the conversation is the first step to getting the help you may need. These youth activists from Jamaica, Nepal, the United States and Zimbabwe answer questions on how young people can improve their mental health and share their own experiences on…, Jamaica: Ree-Anna Robinson, "There must be someone on this planet that you trust with your feelings and emotions. Try to confide in them."  , Nepal: Shitanshu Dhakal, "Make mental health a normal part of your conversation. Check up on each other from time to time.", United States: Carmel Alshaibi, "The challenge isn’t about giving young people a voice but getting ensuring that adults in the room are willing to listen."  , Zimbabwe: Takudzwa Dongo, "World leaders must promote youth leadership and participation in decision making that affects young people."