Health
Newsline
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.
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.
UNICEF supports maternal and newborn health in Niger
GUIDAN ROUMDJI, Niger, 5 November 2008 – Lying on a bed at the maternity ward of the UNICEF-supported Guidan Roumdji hospital in eastern Niger, Tchima Abou knows she could have died. The 27-year-old woman had given birth to her sixth child, a girl, at home when she started bleeding and slipped into unconsciousness.
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.
Global Handwashing Day messages spread across Nepal
KATHMANDU, Nepal, 22 October 2008 – Nepal celebrated the first-ever Global Handwashing Day, 15 October, with various activities and demonstrations designed to convey one key message: that the simple act of handwashing can prevent many deadly diseases.
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.
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.
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.
UNICEF nominee Paul Farmer receives CDC Foundation Hero Award
NEW YORK, USA, 10 October 2008 – Dr. Paul Farmer, a tireless activist, researcher and public health practitioner whose organization, Partners in Health, provides community-based care for millions of people throughout the developing world, has received the 2008 Hero Award from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia.
Prevention and hygiene-awareness efforts aim to stave off cholera in Guinea-Bissau
BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau, 6 October 2008 – Jose Turé is a metal worker here in one of the poorest countries in the world, and his life has been marked by hardship. He left his family behind in the town of Bafata when he moved to Bissau, the capital, in hopes of earning a better living. But the move to the bigger town brought with it a new danger: cholera.
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.
UNICEF works to protect the most vulnerable from malaria in Indonesia
YAMLI VILLAGE, Indonesia, 12 September 2008 – For centuries, the people of the South Halmahera islands have been dealing with a major health threat that those living in other parts of Indonesia have since forgotten. The threat is malaria, a disease that attacks the most vulnerable. Now, the government, UNICEF and other partners are taking concerted action to end this threat.
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.
UNICEF Executive Director announces $1.7 million for the fight against malaria in Ghana
ACCRA, Ghana, 3 September 2008 – During her three-day visit to Ghana this week, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman announced an additional $1.7 million in support to combat malaria in the country.
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.
New national household survey collects better data to improve lives in Angola
LUANDA, Angola, 21 July 2008 – The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, or MICS, is a UNICEF-supported census designed to evaluate the well-being of women and children. Angola’s third MICS is now being conducted in all of its 18 provinces.
UNICEF and ECHO provide vital health services to cyclone-affected Malagasy villages
ANTISIRAKA, Madagascar, 17 July 2008 – At first glance, the village of Antsiraka is an idyllic setting. Clear blue waters lap the shores of a white sandy beach, and palm trees mark the entrance to this remote village, which is only accessible by bicycle or boat.
Early detection and treatment of malnutrition in Togo saves lives
BOUGOU, Togo, 2 June 2008 – Hundreds of mothers wait in the early morning at a school in Bogou, holding their children and hoping to hear good news about their prospects.
Zambia’s national health indicators improve markedly
NEW YORK, USA, 28 May 2008 – Some good news out of Zambia: The country’s newest demographic and health survey shows that the sub-Saharan African nation of 12 million people has reduced its maternal and child mortality and HIV prevalence rates.
UNICEF readies for food crisis with unique basket of solutions for children at risk
NEW YORK, USA, 28 May 2008 – Prices of basic foodstuffs are rising across the globe, and with them the spectre of hunger on a massive scale. But where hunger can be battled with less than perfect solutions – as in Haiti, where some people must resort to eating mud cakes – the long-term effect of dietary compromise cannot.
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.
Child health strategy encourages use of bed nets to combat malaria in Niger
MADAROUNFA, Niger, 28 April 2008 – Every night, Aliya Saadou, 26, makes sure that her three young children, including one-month-old Bassira, sleep under the safety of a bed net. Once treated with insecticides, a mosquito net is the best protection against malaria, which is endemic in Aliya’s village of Safo Tchikadji, located just 15 km south of Maradi, Niger’s second biggest city.
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.
Nations unite for World Malaria Day 2008
NEW YORK, USA, 24 April 2008 – Ten years after UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and their partners launched the Roll Back Malaria initiative, malaria is still the single largest child killer in Africa. The disease takes the lives of some 3,000 children per day.
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.
Saving lives by distributing free mosquito nets in Guinea-Bissau
BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau, 5 March 2008 – Awa Gras knows first-hand how deadly malaria can be for children growing up in Guinea-Bissau. She's given birth to eight children and malaria has killed four of them. The last to die was her four-year-old son, who returned from a soccer match feeling ill.
Pilot effort provides an early warning system for autistic children in Malaysia
GELANG PATAH, Malaysia, 26 February 2008 – Three-year-old Mohamad kneels on the floor, winding and unwinding an electrical cord around his arms. Every few cycles, he turns slightly clockwise, but always with his back to his mother and father, who try futilely to catch his attention.
Consultation on maternal and child health inequities held in New York
NEW YORK, USA, 12 February 2008 – Ensuring that poor and marginalized children and mothers have access to quality health care services was the main subject at the UNICEF-convened consultation, ‘Increasing the Contribution of Health Systems to Health Equity’, held last week at the organization’s New York headquarters.
‘Family Talks’ broadcasts the message good health to Brazil
PALHANO, Brazil, 25 January 2008 – Principal Socorro Leni da Silva stands before the group of eager faces which have gathered in her classroom. On this afternoon, however, the room is not filled with her usual primary school pupils, but rather with their mothers. The women are waiting to be recorded for the UNICEF supported radio show, ‘Family Talks’.
Life-skills lessons turn Turkmen students into role models
GEOKDEPE, Turkmenistan, 8 January 2008 – After school, seventh-grader Jeren Yovbagshiyeva often comes home to sit down with her family for afternoon tea. On this day, however, instead of the usual talk about her progress in class, she has something else to discuss.
‘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.
Mozambique campaign aims to distribute 500,000 more nets to fight malaria
MAPUTO, Mozambique, 9 November 2007 – A wide-ranging campaign to distribute over 500,000 mosquito nets is currently under way in 5 of Mozambique’s 10 provinces.
‘Women Deliver’ conference set to spur global action on maternal mortality
NEW YORK, USA, 17 October 2007 – Every minute of every day, a woman dies needlessly during pregnancy or childbirth, mostly in the developing world. These women are dying not because the international community doesn’t have the means to save them, but because it seemingly does not have the will.
UNICEF report shows gains made in reducing the burden of malaria
NEW YORK, USA, 16 October 2007 – The fight against malaria has made significant global headway, particularly in the areas of insecticide-treated net dissemination and international funding.
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.
Japan supports promotion of bednets to prevent malaria in Ghana
GUOMONGO VILLAGE, Ghana, 10 September 2007 – Malaria remains the largest single killer of children in Ghana, taking a toll of approximately 20,000 child deaths every year. One in every four deaths of Ghanaian children under the age of five is due to the mosquito-borne disease.
On track to stop malaria: Congolese railroad helps UNICEF deliver 300,000 bednets
POINTE NOIRE, Republic of Congo, 13 August 2007 – It all started with an excess of malaria-carrying mosquitoes and a generous but bulky donation of insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent the killer disease – plus a country with few paved roads and a population in need, living in inaccessible rebel-held areas.
Meeting of Global Health Leaders: Stronger collaboration, improved outcomes
NEW YORK, USA, 31 July 2007 – Global health leaders from eight international organizations met here on 19 July to discuss ways to strengthen their collaboration, in order to achieve better health outcomes in developing countries.
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.
UNICEF and European Commission support Guinea worm eradication in Ghana
ACCRA, Ghana, 15 June 2007 – At a Guinea worm containment centre in Savelugu, northern Ghana, Assana Mohammed, 10, cries out in pain. Her eyes are shut and she cannot help but try to remove the health worker’s hand from her wound. Little by little, he is extracting a long white Guinea worm from her ankle.
‘Silent emergency’ of malnutrition threatens young lives in Yemen
TAEZ TOWN, Yemen, 11 June 2007 – ‘Taez Boy’ is 18 months old and severely undernourished. In an effort to save his life, his parents travelled a long way to the therapeutic feeding centre here in Taez Town, leaving behind another seven children, all under the age of 15.
Volunteers and helpline join forces to reduce maternal mortality in rural India
NEW YORK, USA, 29 May 2007 – A rigid social structure and gender inequality – which stretches from educational opportunities to health-care access and more – can be a deadly combination for women living in the villages of rural India.
Habiba’s story: Early marriage leads to tragedy for a young woman in Niger
MARADI, Niger, 29 May 2007 – Habiba, now 17, lives in a small village in southern Niger’s Tibiri region. Married three years ago, she has since endured a tragedy that illustrates some of the worst perils of early marriage.
‘Days of Peace’ promote child survival and development in Philippines conflict areas
NEW YORK, USA, 9 May 2007 – For decades, an often violent battle between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has raged in the picturesque countryside of the southern Philippines. The conflict has devastated thousands of villages, leaving children without access to essential services.
For children in Sierra Leone, poverty and malaria are a deadly combination
MAKENI, Sierra Leone, 25 April 2007 – Lying motionless on her tiny hospital bed, Rachel Fornah, 3, is barely breathing. Her unfocussed eyes appear to see nothing – not the nurse injecting more medicine into the tube attached to her head, nor her mother anxiously stroking her outstretched hand.
In Mozambique, protecting children and mothers from malaria
XAI XAI, Mozambique, 24 April 2007 – Zaida Alvero tenderly strokes the forehead of her frail five-month-old baby, Julieta, who lies almost lifeless on a hospital bed in intensive care with a tube inserted in her nose to help her breathe.
African Malaria Day 2007 pushes for global awareness and action
NEW YORK, USA, 24 April 2007 – Each year, between 350 million and 500 million people are infected with malaria, and 1 million die from the disease. Malaria accounts for one death every 30 seconds in Africa alone.
Rebuilding a safety net for new mothers in Indonesia
TANJONG VILLAGE, Indonesia, 20 April 2007 – On the outskirts of Banda Aceh, midwife Radliana is making a house call. She climbs the steps to a white house with a bright green door and knocks. “Salaam Alaikum,” she calls.
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.
UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken visits Afghanistan
NEW YORK, USA, 18 April 2007 – UNICEF National Ambassador Clay Aiken has visited central Afghanistan to see for himself how UNICEF is trying to improve life for children in the region.
Bednets from Canadian ‘Spread the Net’ campaign to tackle malaria in Liberia
GATINEAU, Canada, 18 April 2007 – It is a lofty goal: to cover Africa in blue bednets and stop death by malaria. A recent announcement by UNICEF Canada unveiled an important partnership with the Canada-based ‘Spread the Net’ anti-malaria campaign, and together, the partners aim to reach this goal.
UNICEF helps train midwives to improve maternal and newborn care in Indonesia
KUPANG, Indonesia, 26 March 2007 – Just an hour’s flight from the tourism hub of Bali lies a string of islands known as East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). White sandy beaches, picturesque sunsets and warm, friendly people have made the tiny archipelago look like an idyllic spot.
Theatre groups spread health messages among Mozambique’s flood victims
SOFALA PROVINCE, Mozambique, 16 March 2007 – There are few sights more pleasing than seeing 100 children’s faces light up with laughter. That the source of their joy is a message of good health and hygiene, dressed up as theatre, only adds to the moment.
Nobel Prize-winning scientists share ideas with young leaders at BioVision Forum
LYON, France, 12 March 2007 – It's not every day that a group of children receives help on their science projects from Nobel Prize-winning scientists, especially when most of those children live in developing countries. But that's exactly what happened yesterday, the opening day of the BioVision Life Sciences Forum here, when a select group of 10 youth leaders hosted a breakfast for three Nobel Laureates.
Youth leaders brainstorm with top scientists at BioVision Forum
LYON, France, 9 March 2007 – Hannah Gama, 15, has traveled all the way from Malawi to meet some of the world’s top scientists gathering here for the BioVision World Life Sciences Forum.
Cherie Blair visits children and sees progress at renovated hospital outside Kigali, Rwanda
RWINKWAVU DISTRICT, Rwanda, 6 March 2007 – During a recent three-day visit to Rwanda to attend the 2007 Women Parliamentarians International Conference, Cherie Blair took one morning to visit a UNICEF-supported hospital outside the capital, Kigali.
Aid reaches children in Angola affected by flooding and cholera outbreak
NEW YORK, USA, 5 February 2007 – Until a year ago cholera was not a widespread problem in Angola, but in early 2006 an outbreak began and continued to grow over the subsequent months. No one was quite prepared for the scope of the crisis.
NBA hosts announcement of Gates funding for ‘Nothing But Nets’ malaria campaign
NEW YORK, USA, 4 January 2007 – ‘Nothing But Nets’, a campaign to fight the scourge of malaria in Africa, today announced its first-ever challenge grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – which has pledged to match, dollar for dollar, up to $3 million in individual contributions to the campaign.
Health workers reach remote villagers in Ethiopia with tetanus vaccine
TURMI, Ethiopia, 18 December 2006 – The town criers had been out since dawn, walking around the domed, wood-framed huts, calling out and blowing their horns.
First-ever White House Summit on Malaria focuses on life-saving initiatives in Africa
NEW YORK, USA, 15 December 2006 – US President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush yesterday hosted the first-ever White House Summit on Malaria in Washington, DC.
Insecticide-treated nets take a bite out of malaria epidemic in Zimbabwe
HARARE, Zimbabwe, 13 December 2006 - Young Prince Mafunga was suffering under the weight of his malaria symptoms. For two days, he had a high fever, his head throbbed relentlessly and his joints burnt.
Measles and malaria campaign in Sierra Leone reaches 800,000-plus
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 28 November 2006 – A national measles and malaria campaign has been successfully carried out in Sierra Leone. An estimated 800,000 children under five have benefited from life-saving interventions during this major nationwide health initiative.
UK Members of Parliament and Chaka Chaka witness malaria control efforts
ADAMA, Ethiopia, 3 November 2006 – Two members of the British Parliament recently visited Malawi and Ethiopia to witness the countries’ malaria control efforts.
For a healthy pregnancy, teen mother receives medical care and a mosquito net
BOUAKÉ, Côte d’Ivoire, 19 October 2006 – “If you start the process, you must finish it. No one else is supposed to look at it or stir it for you. That will bring bad luck and the soap will spoil,” explains Mariame Diabagate, 17, as she mixes honey, lemon, coconut oil, carrots, green mud and some other ingredients together in a big pot.
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.
UNICEF promotes exclusive breastfeeding to save children’s lives in Indonesia
FLORES, Indonesia, 17 October 2006 – With a broad smile and large, brown eyes, 15-month-old Filno seems the picture of a happy childhood. Unfortunately, the wispy-haired boy has rarely seen a healthy day in his life. Since he was four months old, he has suffered consistently from recurrent fever, influenza, asthma and a host of other health problems.
Better maternal health care saves the lives of women and children in Nepal
NEW YORK, USA, 27 September 2006 – More than 1 in every 200 pregnant women in Nepal dies giving birth. A lack of access to medical care, poor health education and the low status of women are the main causes. But by working with local communities, UNICEF and its partners are helping to reduce maternal deaths across the region.
Collaborative project saves lives in a remote Senegalese hospital
NIORO, Senegal, 7 September 2006 – Oumou Kalsoum Dramé just concluded her second antenatal visit at the Nioro District Hospital. After a thorough examination, including an ultrasound, the midwife has declared both Ms. Dramé and her future baby to be healthy.
One doctor makes a big impact on a hospital in rural Kenya
GARISSA, Kenya, 5 September 2006 – At Garissa Provincial Hospital in the remote North Eastern Province of Kenya, one doctor has had a big impact on local health. With help from UNICEF, Medical Superintendent Dr. Khadija Abdalla has transformed the small rural hospital into a highly efficent institution.
Community health workers reach out to quake-affected families in Pakistan
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan, 18 July 2006 – Firdaus, a 19-year old college student, entered the canvas-and-aluminium shelter of the Akhtar family in the ruins of Chela Bandi village, Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Roll Back Malaria Initiative receives boost in funding
NEW YORK, USA, 27 July 2006 – The global fight against malaria has received a major financial boost, thanks to contributions and new initiatives from the partners of the Roll Back Malaria Initiative.
Song and drama promote good hygiene and build a cleaner Nepal
KAPILVASTU, Nepal, 16 June 2006 – Meena Pandey and Dilmaya Mukhia, members of a children’s club in Nepal, sing a song they have composed to inspire villagers to keep their community clean.
April 2006: A trip to Huambo, Angola highlights education successes and malaria dangers
HUAMBO, Angola, April 2006 – We arrived in Huambo yesterday and though I’ve been in the country for two weeks only, I’m enjoying the break from Luanda’s heat and constant traffic jams. Today we are heading to Dende, a small village 20 km from Huambo, to visit a primary school built recently with funds from UNICEF Germany. We want to see the finished building and speak to some of the schoolchildren.
UNICEF Executive Director addresses UN special meeting to commemorate Chernobyl
NEW YORK, USA, 28 APRIL 2006 – At the United Nations today, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman addressed a special meeting of the General Assembly in remembrance of the Chernobyl disaster.
Twenty years later, the Chernobyl disaster still affects children’s health
CHERNOBYL, Ukraine, 25 April 2006 – On the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, UNICEF is urging the governments of countries still affected by fallout from the radioactive blast to take a simple yet effective step to save and improve lives.
On Africa Malaria Day 2006, prevention and treatment go hand in hand
LILONGWE , Malawi, 24 April 2006 – Barely one year into her life, Chisomo Mavuwa has already been struck by malaria three times. But something different happened on her last visit to the local clinic. This time, besides getting treatment for Chisomo’s illness, her mother Christina was given a free insecticide-treated net designed to protect the child directly from the mosquitoes that transmit the disease.
UNICEF unveils new tool to combat maternal mortality in India
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 6 April 2006 – In this country where a woman dies in childbirth every five minutes, UNICEF is unveiling a new method to save mothers’ lives: the Maternal and Perinatal Death Inquiries method, or MAPEDI.
West African music stars turn out for US premiere of ‘Roll Back Malaria’ concert film
NEW YORK, USA, 30 March 2006 – At the United Nations headquarters here last night, stars of the African music world and international public health experts put the spotlight on malaria, the single largest killer of children in Africa.
Under the moonlight, UNICEF’s mobile cinema helps prevent malaria in Sao Tome
SANTA CATARINA, Sao Tome and Principe, 20 March 2006 – There is no need to dim the lights in the open-air theatre of Santa Catarina, a small, impoverished fishing village on the northern shore of the island of Sao Tome. As the sound of music signals that it is showtime, nature takes care of the lighting.
UNICEF helps fight cholera outbreak
LUANDA, Angola, 2 March 2006 – Fifteen-month-old Jorge Rufino smiled when his photo was taken, even though he was still recovering from a bout with cholera. Jorge was lucky: His mother Maria Luísa had brought him in to UNICEF’s cholera centre as soon as he became ill.
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Sir Roger Moore promotes salt iodization in India
JAIPUR, India, 18 November 2005 - UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Sir Roger Moore, accompanied by his wife, Lady Moore, arrived in Jaipur on Thursday, 17 November for a visit focused on promoting the use of iodized salt.
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.
Insecticide-treated nets save lives in Malawi’s fight against malaria
MWANZA, Malawi, 16 August 2005 – Malaria is a major killer of children in Malawi. But Magreta Makwemba sleeps soundly at night, knowing her family is safe – thanks to the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs).
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.
Burundi: New ECHO and UNICEF supported drug policy prevents child deaths
MUYINGA, Burundi, 27 June 2005 – When 8-month-old Sibonna first arrived at Burundi’s Muyinga Provincial Hospital, he was dying of malaria, a disease which kills more people in this African country than HIV/AIDS, war or any other cause. His mother had already succumbed to the disease.
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.
UNICEF and WHO launch ‘World Malaria Report’
NEW YORK, 3 May 2005 – UNICEF and the World Health Organization are today jointly launching the first-ever ‘World Malaria Report’, at UNICEF headquarters in New York.
‘Unite Against Malaria’ – Africa Malaria Day 2005
NEW YORK, 25 April 2005 – Today, five years after the first Africa Malaria Day, the disease is still Africa’s biggest killer of children. Ninety per cent of all malaria cases occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 3,000 children die from malaria every day.
Insecticide-treated nets help Malawi communities fight malaria
CHATOWA, Malawi, 22 April 2005 – The people of Chatowa know the dangers of malaria. It has killed many of their children and has left adults in the village too weak from fever to work or care for their families.
Business strategists needed to improve healthcare in developing countries
NEW YORK, 7 April 2005 – “We’ve got to stop thinking that it’s all about money,” says Josh Ruxin, Assistant Clinical Professor of Public Health at Columbia University, who is exploring ways of improving healthcare in developing countries. He believes it is critical to address the healthcare systems - or lack of - before we can expect donations to be wholly effective.
World Health Day 2005: A focus on women
DAKAR, Senegal, 7 April 2005 – “Yesterday I worked a lot. I pounded millet, made food, went to the market. I did all of this after feeling the first pains of childbirth,” says Fatou (not her real name), her eyes widening as she remembers.
Public health forum: Islamabad Declaration prioritizes child survival
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, 6 April 2005 – Pakistan is prioritizing the improvement of maternal health and child survival. During the first week of April, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Saukat Aziz, presided over a landmark public health forum entitled ‘Achieving the Millennium Development Goals for Maternal Health and Child Survival in Pakistan’. UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Rima Salah delivered a keynote address at the forum.
UK donates $3 million to fight malaria in Zimbabwe
HARARE, Zimbabwe, 24 February 2005 - The United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), a strong supporter of malaria prevention across the globe, is helping Zimbabwe battle malaria with a donation of $3 million through UNICEF.
Japan pledges 10 million mosquito nets to halt malaria
NEW YORK, 18 February 2005 - Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria. Carried by mosquitoes, this deadly disease affects millions of people in developing countries, particularly Africa where it causes 20 per cent of all child deaths.
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.
Malaria strikes everywhere but hits Africa the hardest
Every year hundreds of millions people in developing countries suffer from acute malaria, a mosquito-borne disease. This deadly disease takes a child’s life every 30 seconds worldwide, killing over one million people each year. Most of these deaths are children under five years of age and 90 per cent of malaria cases occur in Africa, south of the Sahara.
World Health Day 2004: ‘Road Safety is No Accident’
World Health Day, 7 April, 2004 focuses on ‘Road Safety’ in response to millions of deaths, dismemberments and other injuries that occur due to traffic accidents.
