Health

“At first, I was scared of injections,” Leen says as she remembers how she used to feel when it came time to get vaccinated. “But I saw what happened to children who weren’t vaccinated. They got a fever and a red rash because they had measles.” Leen is just 10 years-old, but she has already seen the life-saving potential of routine immunization.…, Troubling trend, Measles and rubella are highly contagious and major causes of child mortality and congenital disabilities, yet both diseases can be prevented through vaccination. By late November 2023, a total of 50,795 suspected cases of measles and rubella had been reported in Yemen, resulting in more than 560 associated deaths – a sharp increase from the 27,…, Empowered and proud, Although children are signing up on an individual, voluntary basis to be sponsors, they are given a chance to participate in joint activities with other child sponsors and are also provided with useful school items – an important incentive for children from the poorest households. In addition, the sponsor initiative is conducted in partnership…

GENEVA/NEW YORK/ROME, 19 February 2024 – A steep rise in malnutrition among children and pregnant and breastfeeding women in the Gaza strip poses grave threats to their health, according to a comprehensive new analysis released by the Global Nutrition Cluster. As the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip enters its 20 th week, food and safe water…

"Despite the terrible situation linked to this escalation, I had to evacuate our home with my three children," Benan Al Jabali, a mother from the Gaza Strip, recalled with a heavy heart. "We found ourselves at Al-Shifa Hospital, desperate and with nothing—no clothes, no food, and no water. It was a harsh reality."  With the ongoing war in the Gaza…

“At first, I was scared of injections,” Leen says as she remembers how she used to feel when it came time to get vaccinated. “But I saw what happened to children who weren’t vaccinated. They got a fever and a red rash because they had measles.” Leen is just 10 years-old, but she has already seen the life-saving potential of routine immunization.…, Troubling trend, Measles and rubella are highly contagious and major causes of child mortality and congenital disabilities, yet both diseases can be prevented through vaccination. By late November 2023, a total of 50,795 suspected cases of measles and rubella had been reported in Yemen, resulting in more than 560 associated deaths – a sharp increase from the 27,…, Empowered and proud, Although children are signing up on an individual, voluntary basis to be sponsors, they are given a chance to participate in joint activities with other child sponsors and are also provided with useful school items – an important incentive for children from the poorest households. In addition, the sponsor initiative is conducted in partnership…

What is the Behavioural Playbook for Public Health Response? Effective public health responses require a comprehensive range of policy solutions, including epidemiological and behavioural data, specific expertise in community engagement as well as social and behaviour change strategies, investment in healthcare systems, a well-trained and well-…

This checklist has been produced to assist humanitarian workers self-assess the extent gender concerns are integrated into humanitarian response. The checklist can also be utilized by monitoring teams to ensure gender responsive monitoring of progress. The checklist follows the standard humanitarian programme cycle and provides a set of specific…

12 November 2023, Cairo/Amman — The regional directors of UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO call for urgent international action to end the ongoing attacks on hospitals in Gaza. We are horrified at the latest reports of attacks on and in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital, Al-Rantissi Naser Paediatric Hospital, Al-Quds Hospital, and others in Gaza city and…

A UNICEF commissioned  think piece on “Primary Health Care (PHC) Financing in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Government Response to COVID-19, Innovative Practices and Options for the Future.” This report analyses several aspects of PHC financing in the region, including the trends, efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of PHC spending,…

On a warm day in the month of Ramadan, in the desert town of Kébili in the south of Tunisia, motorcycles, cars and passersby swirl around the municipal hospital, and just across the street, a local primary health care center. Despite the small health center’s weathered exterior, inside there are bright, sleek new refrigerators humming with…

If you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed your baby, it is natural to wonder what to do when you fall ill. The good news is that the evidence is overwhelmingly in support of continuing breastfeeding. Breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact and early, exclusive breastfeeding helps your baby to thrive and provides lifelong health benefits.…, Can I safely breastfeed my child if I’m feeling sick?, With most common illnesses like a cold or flu, it is safe to continue breastfeeding your baby as long as you take proper hygiene precautions like handwashing. Continuing to breastfeed will help you to maintain your milk supply and will provide your baby with protection against the illness you are experiencing., Can I take medication while breastfeeding?, If you need to take any medication while ill, let your health care provider know that you are breastfeeding and ask for baby-safe options., What should I do if I’m too unwell to breastfeed?, If you are feeling too sick to nurse, try to find other ways to safely provide your child with breastmilk. Try expressing milk and giving to your child via a clean cup or spoon. Speak to your breastfeeding counsellor or healthcare professional about the options available to you. Expressing breastmilk is also important to sustain milk production so…, Should I breastfeed if my child is sick?, Continue to breastfeed your child if they become ill. Breastfeeding boosts your baby’s immune system, and your antibodies are passed to them through breastmilk, helping them to fight infections., What precautions should I take when breastfeeding if I’m sick?, If you are sick or suspect you may be, speak to your healthcare provider for guidance. Be sure to follow simple hygiene steps to help protect your child. Your hands should be washed with soap and water before and after touching your baby. You may also use an alcohol-based hand rub. It is also important to clean and disinfect any surfaces that you…, Should I breastfeed if I have or suspect I have COVID-19?, Yes, you should continue breastfeeding with appropriate precautions. The transmission of COVID-19 through breastmilk and breastfeeding has not been detected. Precautions include wearing a mask, washing your hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand rub before and after touching your baby, and routinely cleaning and disinfecting…, Should I get the COVID-19 vaccine if I'm breastfeeding or providing expressed milk?, Yes, the COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for healthy individuals who are lactating or expressing milk.  

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 18 July 2023 – Global immunization services reached 4 million more children in 2022 compared to the previous year, as countries stepped up efforts to address the historic backsliding in immunization caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data published today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, in 2022, 20.5…

Basra, Iraq, 28 May 2023 – Asma Ali, a 36-year-old woman is waiting to get her 3-month-old baby girl Rawan vaccinated at Al Shuaiba Primary Health Care Center. Accompanied by her mother-in-law, Fourat, Asma is keen on vaccinating her newborn baby girl.  “I always bring my children to get vaccinated on time,” said Asma with pride.  “I want to…