Programme

Programme

Child Survival

Every child has the right to survive and thrive.

Mother looks at her infant smile.
UNICEF/China/2018/Ma Yuyuan

Challenges

Many children in China, particularly the poorest and most disadvantaged, still lack the basic right to health, including lack of opportunities to thrive and participate in life to their fullest potential.

Every year, 190,000 children under five, especially those in the first few months of life, die from preventable diseases. Many of these children are born in areas with inadequate healthcare and services.

  • Many children are also at risk of poor nutrition, with four out of every five missing out on the full benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.
  • China ranks third in the world in the number of children facing developmental delays, with 15 million children at risk.
  • More than 17 million children, particularly those left behind as their parents migrate for work, are at risk of unhealthy development, and poor sanitation, nutrition, nurturing care and stimulation.

Solutions

We have health, nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects in 123 counties across 26 provinces.

UNICEF works with government agencies, the private sector and academia to ensure the survival, health and development of children, women and adolescents, particularly those in impoverished areas.

More specifically we are:

  • training health workers and empowering them to provide quality healthcare, nutrition, and WASH services to mothers and their baby;
  • helping families access information, gain knowledge and skills that help them to make healthy choices and access quality health, nutrition and WASH services;
  • helping prevent child injuries and ensure immunizations for pregnant women, children and adolescents;
  • promoting cleaner and safe environments in schools, healthcare facilities and communities;
  • generating evidence and knowledge for informed planning, programme design and policymaking.

Resources

These resources on education represent just a small selection of materials produced by UNICEF and its partners in the last two years. The list is regularly updated to include the latest information.