Global

Many people associate pneumonia with the elderly, but it is actually the biggest infectious killer of children worldwide. Every year, it claims the lives of more than 725,000 children under the age of 5, including around 190,000 newborns, who are particularly vulnerable to infection.  Every day, at least one child dies every 43 seconds from…, What causes pneumonia?, Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection of the lungs. It doesn’t have one single cause – it can develop from either bacteria, viruses or fungi in the air. When a child is infected, their lungs are filled with fluid and it becomes difficult to breathe. Children whose immune systems are immature (i.e. newborns) or weakened – such as by…, What are pneumonia symptoms?, As pneumonia is an infection of the lungs, the most common symptoms are coughing, trouble breathing and fever. Children with pneumonia usually experience fast breathing, or their lower chest may draw in or retract when they inhale (in a healthy person, the chest expands during inhalation)., Is pneumonia contagious?, Pneumonia is contagious and can be spread through airborne particles (a cough or sneeze). It can also be spread through other fluids, like blood during childbirth, or from contaminated surfaces., How is pneumonia diagnosed in children?, Health workers can diagnose pneumonia through a physical exam, including checking for abnormal breathing patterns and listening to the child’s lungs. Sometimes they may use chest x-rays or blood tests for diagnosis. In countries without strong health care systems (i.e. few doctors, lack of access to chest x-rays and laboratories), health workers…, What are pneumonia treatments?, The treatment for pneumonia depends on the type of pneumonia. In developing countries, a large number of pneumonia cases is caused by bacteria and can be treated with low cost antibiotics. Yet many children with pneumonia do not receive the antibiotics they need because they lack access to quality health care. Other causes of pneumonia are viruses…, What role can oxygen play in pneumonia treatment?  , Oxygen is an essential and life-saving treatment for children and newborns suffering from severe pneumonia. That’s because the inflammation of their lungs prevents enough oxygen from entering their bloodstream.  Access to oxygen has for a long time been unavailable to those who need it. In many countries without strong health systems, oxygen is…, What can be done to prevent pneumonia?, Pneumonia can be prevented in the first place by increasing protective measures, such as adequate nutrition, and by reducing risk factors like air pollution (which makes the lungs more vulnerable to infection) and using good hygiene practices. Studies have shown that improved handwashing with soap reduces the risk of pneumonia by lowering exposure…, Is there a pneumonia vaccine?, Pneumonia caused by bacteria is easily preventable with vaccines. However, 40 per cent of children around the world are not fully protected with the primary vaccine to prevent pneumonia – the Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine. In addition, other vaccines such as Diphteria-Tetanus-Pertussis and measles-containing vaccines and Hemophilus Influenza B (Hib)…, Where are the most children dying from pneumonia?, The countries with the largest number of child pneumonia deaths are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Child deaths from pneumonia are concentrated in the world’s poorest countries. Within these countries, it is the most deprived and marginalized children who suffer the most. They often have limited or no access to basic health services…, How does air pollution factor into pneumonia?, Air pollution can significantly increase the risk of respiratory infection, including pneumonia. Almost half of all pneumonia deaths are attributable to air pollution.   The climate crisis is a child rights crisis and poses a serious threat to children’s health and well-being. Outdoor air pollution is a risk to children, especially with growing…, How big a factor is malnutrition in pneumonia related deaths?   , Wasting is the leading risk factor for deaths from pneumonia among children. It’s the most visible and life-threatening form of malnutrition. When a child is too thin and their immune systems are weak, they’re far more vulnerable to diseases like pneumonia. Wasting tends to occur very early in life and disproportionately impacts children under 2…, What is needed to stop pneumonia? , Swift action is required to ensure that no child dies from pneumonia and other preventable or treatable diseases.   That response requires reducing risk factors, protecting children’s immune system and ensuring access to good-quality health care, free at the point of use, with well trained and equipped health workers to all children. Preventing…

The advancement of gender equality and the empowerment of girls and women are central to UNICEF’s mandate to ensure every child is protected, healthy, and educated. Recognising the need for accelerated action so we do not leave girls behind, in 2022, UNICEF developed a new vision for programming with and for adolescent girls: the Adolescent Girls…

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-…

The commitment of UNICEF to an equal future for all girls and boys recognizes that promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The Gender Action Plan, 2018–2021 (GAP) is UNICEF’s road map for promoting gender equality throughout its work, guiding its…, This is the final year in the implementation of the Gender Action Plan 2018-2021, UNICEF’s roadmap for promoting gender equality throughout its work. Over the last four years, UNICEF has substantially increased investment in resources, leadership, capacity and accountability to achieve meaningful results for women and girls. And while progress has…, girl-with-tablet UNICEF approach to integrated gender results, GARR2021-Gender-infographic-1 UNICEF focuses on levelling the playing field for girls and boys by addressing gender inequality in key life outcomes; promoting gender equality in how children are supported and cared for, including in households and childcare-related fields; and promoting adolescent girls’ well-being and empowerment.  In 2021,…, mother-and-daughter Equality in health systems and workforce, 80 per cent of live births were attended by skilled personnel in 2021, surpassing the overall target of 79 per cent 40.4 million adolescent girls benefited from services and support for the prevention of anaemia and other forms of malnutrition 57.5 million  caregivers of children under the age of 2 years received infant and young child feeding…, girl-in-classroom Equality in education, 21 million out-of-school girls accessed early learning, primary or secondary education through UNICEF-supported programmes versus 8.4 million in 2019 48 countries had gender-responsive education systems, increasing from 15 countries in 2017 31 countries had systems that institutionalized gender-equitable skills for learning, personal empowerment,…, girl-technician Addressing gender-based violence, 4.4 million children experiencing violence were reached with health, justice and social welfare services in 129 countries, versus 2.5 million children in 2017 3.6 million families across 97 countries benefited from support on positive, nurturing care, almost four times more than in 2017 10 million people participated in community activities to…, school-girl-holding-textbooks Gender-responsive water, sanitation and hygiene systems, 20 million more people had access to basic sanitation services (10.2 million women and girls) 16.7 million girls and women benefited from UNICEF-supported water programmes in humanitarian settings 6.5 million girls were reached with WASH-in-schools services (including gender-segregated, child-friendly and accessible WASH facilities) To address…, woman-walk-past-mural Promoting positive gender norms and socialization, including through social protection, 94 UNICEF country programmes carried out interventions to challenge harmful norms and promote positive gender socialization In 56 countries UNICEF assisted governments to support families to better care for their children, including through family-friendly policies like parental leave; quality childcare; and child benefits. 100 countries were…, girls-carrying-dignity-kits Gender in emergencies, When disasters and emergencies happen, including public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, people not only are impacted differently, but they are unlikely to have equal opportunities to overcome the crisis. Women and girls are disproportionately affected. Pre-existing discriminatory norms tend to restrict them from life-saving…, girl-in-classroom Adolescent girls’ well-being and empowerment, 81 countries had an inclusive, gender-responsive national plan for adolescent health and well-being, increasing from 50 countries in 2018 7.6 million adolescent girls across 47 countries benefited from child marriage-related interventions, nearly four times more than in 2017 16.8 million girls participated in skills development programmes,…, female-drivers-unicef.jpg Making UNICEF a more gender-responsive organization, UNICEF met 88 per cent of all benchmarks in the UN-SWAP – the United Nations gender equality scorecard – compared to 76 per cent in 2018 98 UNICEF offices met institutional gender results benchmarks compared with 63 in 2018 UNICEF  reached virtual gender parity in staffing in line with UN-system wide standards Over the last four years, UNICEF has…, portrait-girl Looking forward, In 2022, UNICEF is embarking on a new GAP cycle with renewed commitment to promote gender equality and scale up transformative results for girls and women. To do this, UNICEF, with its partners, will apply bolder, gender-transformative approaches that seek to change the discriminatory social norms, stereotypes and structures that hold girls and…, Read more and support our work, June 2022, Global Annual Results Report 2021 Gender Equality Cover image: UNICEF/UN0570461 14-year-old Camila Doutang, who fled the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela with her parents, lives in the Villa del Rosario municipality in North Santander, Colombia. Here, she attends a UNICEF-supported Alternative Care and Shelter Space for Children and Adolescents (…

Reducing inequality strengthens economies and builds stable, resilient societies that give all individuals – including boys and men – the opportunity to fulfil their potential.  UNICEF builds partnerships across the global community to accelerate gender equality. In all areas of our work, we integrate strategies that address gender-specific…

NEW YORK, 8 March 2022 – “On International Women’s Day, we acknowledge the international community’s hard-fought gains for the world’s women and girls. We celebrate the remarkable achievements of women and girls in our societies. And we redouble our commitment to extend those gains to every girl, everywhere. “But the fight for gender equality is…

11 February marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. To celebrate the occasion, we're paying tribute to the incredible contribution of women to the COVID-19 response globally.  The coronavirus pandemic has put unprecedented pressure on health workers. Some are working around the clock to care for patients. Others are increasing…, Warriors on the ward in Haryana, India, India’s health system has been stretched to the breaking point many times during the pandemic, with the bulk of the caring burden on women.  Women are estimated to make up to 30 per cent of doctors and more than 80 per cent of nurses and midwives. Medical staff in India and around the world have saved millions of lives, often while risking their…, Men, follow my lead, Mariam is a Malian refugee. She became the first woman to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the M’Berra refugee camp, in south-east Mauritania.  “We often face misinformation," says Mariam, as she speaks about life in the camp. “Many people are illiterate, so it's 'word of mouth' that prevails. It is thanks to vaccination that we can all get out of…, Putting patients first, "I live with my husband, three children and my mother, who is 80 years old. I was still breastfeeding when I started work at the COVID-19 intensive care unit,” says Jennifer Boateng, a Senior Pharmacist at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital in Ghana.  “I was truly terrified of contracting the virus and putting my family at risk,” she remembers. “…, No one is safe until everyone is safe, Female health workers from a clinic in Kupang, Indonesia, travel to local communities to hold vaccination events. Indonesia has felt the impact of the pandemic, with one of the highest death tolls worldwide.  More than 25,000 children have lost at least one parent to COVID-19.  Across Indonesia, the COVID-19 response is also being supported by…, On the ground at the world's largest supply and logistics hub for children, Etleva Kadilli is the Director of UNICEF’s Supply Division, where women represent more than half of the workforce in a traditionally male-dominated sector. In 2021, over $6.2 billion worth of goods and services was procured by UNICEF. The pandemic brought an exponential demand for COVID-19-related supply items, such as personal protective…, Life-saving information, Victoria is a social mobilizer in Yambio, South Sudan. She's part of UNICEF's Social and Behaviour Change programme, which engages children, youth and communities on issues that affect them.  Access to information is an enormous challenge in South Sudan. Insecurity, displacement, illiteracy, poverty, gender inequities and the fact that 83 per cent…, The kids are on board, Twelve-year-old Jessica from the Himalaya Boarding School in Kathmandu, Nepal, receives a COVID-19 vaccine from a female health worker.  Nepal’s health service is bolstered by more than 50,000 female community health volunteers .   Their role has extended during the pandemic, to include informing the public about preventative measures, such as…, Incredibly dedicated, Daria Shulha, 32, is a doctor at Kharkiv’s Infectious Diseases Hospital in Ukraine. “We see patients at the stage that it will take an incredible effort to bring them back to life,” says Daria.  The intensive care department where Daria works has six beds. Some of her patients have been hospitalized for several weeks.  “After such a long time, you…, Sharing science to reduce hesitancy, Young women in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, listen to UNICEF’s Bérangère Antoine explain how and why the COVID-19 vaccines work.    At a workshop, one participant shares: “I was afraid to get vaccinated until now. After the awareness session, the fear diminishes.” UNICEF's Bérangère Antoine explains the benefits of the vaccine against COVID-19 during a…, Big sister! V is for vaccinated, Tomilyn, 10, holds her newborn baby sister in Buéa Regional Hospital, Cameroon. She was delivered by one of the world's 1.9 million midwives, 93 per cent of whom are women.  COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of serious illness if women get COVID-19 during pregnancy .  Tomilyn says that she already understands the importance of vaccinations and…

Empowerment is a complex concept, and any program and policy work to support adolescents requires a thorough, nuanced exploration of the local context, broader research base on empowerment as it relates to the specific adolescent population the program aims to reach, and desired outcomes.

The commitment of UNICEF to an equal future for all girls and boys recognizes that promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The Gender Action Plan, 2018-2021 (GAP) is UNICEF’s roadmap for promoting gender equality throughout its work, guiding its…, Girls and women are bearing the brunt of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has intensified pre-existing gender inequalities based on discriminatory gender stereotypes. Widespread economic insecurity, as well as service disruptions related to maternal health, sexual and reproductive health, nutrition and education, are jeopardizing the lives of…, UNICEF responds to the COVID-19 impact on women and girls, Icon representing 15 year old girl 84 country offices implemented gender-based violence in emergencies programmes compared with 46 in 2019 Icon representing gender - male and female symbols combined 90 countries were supported with national gender-responsive social protection interventions, triple the number in 2019 Icon representing COVID-19…, Equality in health systems and workforce, Icon representing a motherholding a baby 38 countries had implementation plans to strengthen quality maternal and newborn health care, surpassing the 2021 target of 30 Icon representing a baby lying on their back 78 per cent of live births were attended by skilled health personnel, almost meeting the 2021 target of 79 per cent Icon representing a…, Equality in education, Icon representing computer connected to the internet 301 million children were reached with distance learning (49 per cent of them girls)  Icon representing Education - open book 18.6 million out-of-school girls participated in early learning and primary or secondary education through UNICEF-supported programmes, compared with 8.4 million in 2019…, Addressing gender-based violence, Icon representing children - boy and girl holding hands 4.2 million children (over 1.25 million girls) who experienced violence were reached with health, social work and justice services, 53 per cent more than in 2019 Icon representing emergency - hospital cross 17.7 million people across 83 emergency-context countries received gender-based…, Gender-responsive water, sanitation and hygiene systems, Icon representing drinking water - water in a glass 17 million additional people gained access to safe drinking water since 2019 (7.3 million women and girls)  Icon representing sanitation - a toilet 13 million additional people had access to basic sanitation services since 2019 (6.9 million women and girls) Icon representing sanitation - hand…, Promoting positive gender norms and socialization, including through social protection, Icon representing social norms - a man and a woman with a rainbow over their heads 49 UNICEF country programmes had interventions to transform gender-discriminatory roles and norms and promote positive gender socialization Icon representing government building - building with flag flying  In 46 countries UNICEF assisted governments to support…, Gender-responsive social protection, Inclusive and well-managed social protection systems hold enormous potential for transformative outcomes for women and girls, and gender equality more broadly. UNICEF expanded support for gender-responsive social protection programmes, particularly addressing the gender norms that create barriers, preventing women and girls from benefiting from…, Innovation for gender equality, Icon representing skills development - pencil and wrench Icon representing innovation - a light bulb beaming Icon representing generating demand for services - students with trainer pointing to board UNICEF’s Innovation for Gender Equality Portfolio promotes digital skills and creative social enterprise models, while amplifying adolescent girls…, Adolescent girls’ well-being and empowerment, Icon representing skills development - pencil and wrench 3.2 million girls were reached through UNICEF-supported skills-development, empowerment and employability training, an increase of 900,000 from 2019 Icon representing child marriage Nearly 6 million adolescent girls were reached with prevention and care interventions related to ending child…, Dignified menstrual health and hygiene (MHH), Globally, 1.18 million girls and women benefited from emergency MHH services in 2020, increasing from one million in 2019. UNICEF delivered hygiene kits – with menstrual products included as mandatory items – focusing on the most vulnerable communities, such as girls and women from ethnic and indigenous communities in Peru and Ukraine, and those…, Girls' health and nutrition, UNICEF continued to focus on improving gender-responsive adolescent health policies and services, including addressing the persistently high HIV infection rates among adolescent girls, through tackling barriers to comprehensive testing, counselling and treatment. Human papillomavirus vaccination results were encouraging in 2020—there was a…, Girls' secondary education and skills, During widespread health crises, girls and young women are often the first to be removed from school and the last to return. This compounds the fact that pre-pandemic, there were already concerning gaps in secondary school completion among adolescent girls.  UNICEF and partners supported gender-transformative strategies that address barriers to…, Child marriage and early unions, Despite a decline in the practice over the last decade, no region is on track to eliminate child marriage by 2030. Indeed, gains are under serious threat due to COVID-19, which has put an estimated 10 million additional girls at risk. UNICEF country programmes addressing child marriage have steadily increased from 38 in 2016 to 50 in 2020.  In…, Making UNICEF a more gender-responsive organization, Icon of a clipboard UNICEF met 88 per cent of all benchmarks in the UN-SWAP – the United Nations gender equality scorecard – compared to 82 per cent in 2019 Icon representing country office - shape of undefined country 75 per cent of country offices completed GenderPro, UNICEF’s globally-accredited course on gender equality  Icon representing…, Looking forward, A young woman standing in a classroom in front of a blackboard A boy standing in front of solar panels and waving A girl standing in front of a white wall with colourful butterflies and flowers painted on it Amid the challenges of the pandemic, opportunities emerged to leverage the crisis as an accelerator and catalyst; to build back better beyond…, With thanks, This report highlights the achievements made possible by the generous contributions of softly earmarked thematic funding received from various partners. UNICEF would like to express it's sincere appreciation for these contributions. UNICEF would especially like to thank the governments of Canada and Luxembourg, and private sector partners Chloé…, Global Annual Results Report 2020 Gender Equality Cover image: UNICEF/UN0348821/Ayene Kalkidan Hailemariam, aged 15 years, is the President of the Addis Ababa Childrens parliament. UNICEFs work is funded entirely through the voluntary support of millions of people around the world and our partners in government, civil society and the private…

LONDON/ NEW YORK, 11 November 2020 – Severe pneumonia leaves an estimated 4.2 million children under the age of five in 124 low- and middle-income countries with critically low oxygen levels each year, new analysis from UNICEF, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Save the Children and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) has revealed…

The year 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most comprehensive global agenda for girls and women to date. We see today technological advances that we could only dream about 25 years ago, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas. Yet, despite…

As the largest global programme addressing female genital mutilation (FGM), the UNFPA–UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of FGM: Accelerating Change targets the most vulnerable and marginalized girls and women, who face multiple and intersecting factors that increase their risk of undergoing this harmful practice. The 2019 Annual Report…