Global

NEW YORK, 7 March 2023 – The number of pregnant and breastfeeding adolescent girls and women suffering from acute malnutrition has soared from 5.5 million to 6.9 million – or 25 per cent – since 2020 in 12 countries hardest hit by the global food and nutrition crisis, according to a new report released by UNICEF today. The 12 countries – including…

Undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia amplify gender inequalities by lowering learning potential, wages and life opportunities for adolescent girls and women, weakening their immunity to infections, and increasing their risk of life-threatening complications during pregnancy and childbirth. In ‘Undernourished and Overlooked: A Global Nutrition Crisis in Adolescent Girls and Women’ UNICEF examines the current status, trends and inequities in the nutritional status of adolescent girls and women of reproductive age (15-49 years), and the barriers they face in accessing nutritious diets, utilizing essential nutrition services and benefiting from positive nutrition and care practices. The analysis focuses on undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia because these forms of malnutrition affect the most vulnerable adolescent girls and women in low- and middle-income countries, especially in the context of the ongoing global food and nutrition crisis. Research highlights:   UNICEF’s findings reveal the slow global progress on nutrition in adolescent girls and women, and the multiple, interacting drivers that underlie this global crisis. The key findings are as follows: Progress on adolescent girls’ and women’s nutrition is too slow and under threat: no region is on track to meet the 2030 global targets to reduce anaemia and low birthweight, and acute malnutrition has risen by 25 per cent since 2020 in crisis-hit countries. Disadvantaged adolescent girls and women and those living in poorer regions bear the brunt of undernutrition and anaemia. Poor nutrition is passed down through generations: about half of children under 2 with stunting become stunted during pregnancy and the first six months of life. The global food crisis is deepening the nutrition crisis for adolescent girls and women. Adolescent girls and women struggle to access nutritious diets. Harmful social and gender norms and practices block progress on adolescent girls’ and women’s nutrition. Nutrition services and social protection programmes are failing to meet the nutrition needs of adolescent girls and women, especially in humanitarian settings. Adolescent girls and women lack strong policy protection against undernutrition. Conclusions:   The scale and consequences of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia in adolescent girls and women are being overlooked and under recognized by families, society, governments, development and humanitarian communities, research and academia, media and the private sector. Unless decisive action is taken, we will collectively continue to fail adolescent girls and women, and jeopardize the survival, growth, development and well-being of their children. With the mounting pressures on food and nutrition security and rapidly approaching deadlines for the global nutrition targets, governments and their development and humanitarian partners – national and international – must take the lead in accelerating progress for adolescent girls’ and women’s nutrition. >>> Access data on the triple threats of anemia, underweight and overweight

It can be difficult to watch your child struggling with their weight. As a parent, you want to do everything you can to help your children – especially when they are stressed. Here are some ways to help support your child if you are worried that their weight may be affecting their health and well-being. If you are concerned about your child’s…, Avoid blame, Young people can gain weight due to several reasons outside of their control or individual behaviour, often with complex causes. Children who struggle with their weight frequently experience bias, stigma and bullying. It’s critical to stay away from blaming your child, and instead try to understand the structural issues at play that encourage…, Have healthy conversations, In a fast-changing digital landscape, it is important to remain aware of threats to the mental health and well-being of your child as it relates to their confidence and body image issues. These can range from social media posts stereotyping weight or encouraging eating disorders, to the constant corporate marketing of unhealthy junk food targeting…, Focus on healthy behaviours, Unless advised by a health professional, focus on “health and a healthy goals” rather than weight loss. Healthy eating and physical activity behaviours do not become routine overnight. It takes time, effort and perseverance from you and your child to make changes that last. Any big, sudden alterations to your child’s diet and lifestyle are…

NEW YORK, 23 February 2021 – UNICEF has sent 100,000 syringes and 1,000 safety boxes for COVID-19 vaccinations to the Maldives by air freight from UNICEF’s humanitarian warehouse in Dubai—part of the first wave of COVID-19-related syringe shipments to begin rolling out in the coming days. Others in the first wave of shipments include Côte d'Ivoire…

NEW YORK, 18 December 2020 – UNICEF could potentially transport up to 850 tonnes of COVID-19 vaccines per month in 2021, should such quantities become available, according to a new assessment. This is more than double the average weight of vaccines UNICEF transports every month. The assessment is part of UNICEF’s work to lead on the procurement…

NEW YORK, 27 JULY 2020 – An additional 6.7 million children under the age of five could suffer from wasting – and therefore become dangerously undernourished – in 2020 as a result of the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF warned today. According to an analysis published in The Lancet , 80 per cent of these children would be…

Rome, 13 July 2020 – More people are going hungry, an annual study by the United Nations has found. Tens of millions have joined the ranks of the chronically undernourished over the past five years, and countries around the world continue to struggle with multiple forms of malnutrition. The latest edition of the  State of Food Security and…

NEW YORK, 13 MAY 2020 – An additional 6,000 children could die every day from preventable causes over the next six months as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to weaken health systems and disrupt routine services, UNICEF said today. The estimate is based on an analysis by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,  newly…

NEW YORK, 25 April 2020 – As the world waits desperately for a vaccine, the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to surge across the globe. Millions of children are in danger of missing life-saving vaccines against measles, diphtheria and polio due to disruptions in immunization services. At last count, most countries had suspended mass polio campaigns…

21 April 2020, Brussels/Rome/New York – Today an international alliance of UN, governmental, and nongovernmental agencies working to address the root causes of extreme hunger have released a new edition of their annual Global Report on Food Crises . Key findings of the Global Report The report by the Global Network Against Food Crises indicates…

At a time when one in three children under 5 is not getting the nutrition they need to grow well, The State of the World’s Children 2019 examines children’s malnutrition today. Communities increasingly face a triple burden of malnutrition: despite declines, 149 million children aged under 5 still suffer from stunting and almost 50 million from…