South Africa

PRETORIA, 30 May 2023: The ‘Phezulu: Looking Up’ podcast series launched today by UNICEF South Africa tells the stories of the impact of the COVID-19 years on children and young people and how,with the right support and opportunities, children and young people are determined to build a safer, fairer and better post pandemic South Africa.   The…

From vaccine hesitancy to herd immunity, variants to boosters, COVID-19 to measles – there’s a lot to the vaccination conversation in South Africa. A partnership between UNICEF South Africa and Vuselela Media has been training young community journalists to report on the day-to-day vaccination discussion and surface the stories that move it…, Matsoarelo Makuke | Alex FM | Johannesburg, My name is Matsoarelo Makuke and I represented Alex FM in the Vuka Vuma Vax campaign with UNICEF South Africa. As a community journalist, the experience has been awesome. It provided me with an opportunity to work on my skills and tackling questions and how to handle situations when interviewees go out of context.  Engaging with different people…, Sikelela Rollom | Nkqubela FM | Gqeberha, It has been an absolute pleasure for me to represent Nkqubela FM, a community radio station in Gqeberha, for the Vuka Vuma Vax campaign. Through this campaign I had the opportunity to tell the vaccination stories of the people in my community.   The first thing I learned during the training conducted by Mr Mthoba Chapi is the power of using a…, Bukho Ndamase | UCR FM | Mthatha, There's a piece of writing that says, "life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself".   My name is Bukho Ndamse from Mthatha, representing UCR FM. Throughout the training I felt that I was creating myself.   In the past months I have learnt so much during the training. I went from knowing what exactly a vaccine is, and what the…, Llyle Jefferies | Radio K | Cape Town, VUKA VUMA Vax, the campaign that brought together 32 strangers and had them leave as friends. An eventful and knowledge filled campaign aiding the youth and helping spread the word on today's health issues. The first day we all met on Zoom, a screen filled with happy faces and smiles to be all taught by an excellent lecturer, Mthoba Chapi, a man…

JOHANNESBURG, 22 March 2023 – Nearly 3-years since South Africa and the world shut down to slow the spread of COVID-19, a new photo book and exhibit launched today presents the reflections of young people on the pandemic years and their role in building a safer, fairer and better future. ‘ COVID-19 & Beyond: Through a Youth Lens ’ photo book…

Infectious diseases are a reality, and we all have a role to play to keep ourselves and others safe.  These updated interactive resources are designed for COVID-19 Risk Communication and Community Engagement in Schools and Orphan and Vulnerable Child Centres in South Africa, and can also be used at home and in your community. The resources provide…

A strong, effective, and well-funded vaccination system helps protect children against childhood diseases and ensures that health systems are as prepared as possible for potential health crises. In 2022 the Government of Japan committed US$2.1 million (ZAR32.7 million) to strengthen vaccine cold chain systems and to build capacity in promoting and…, The Eastern Cape Department of Health, Embassy of Japan and UNICEF visited the Motherwell Community Health Centre in Gqeberha (formerly known as Port Elizabeth) as part of a facility walk-around to see the cold storage fridges., UNICEF/UN0748886/Peens nurse packing cold storage box for vaccine transportation ZAF-UN0748861.jpg, Nurse Meltafa from the Motherwell Community Health Centre explains the process of vaccine transport preparation from cold storage., UNICEF/UN0748861/Peens nurse explaining to visitors ZAF-UN0748865.jpg, Nurse Meltafa from the Motherwell Community Health Centre explains the process of vaccine transport preparation from cold storage., UNICEF/UN0748865/Peens women inspecting cold storage ZAF-UN0748883.jpg, Corry van der Walt, a pharmacist specialising in public sector pharmacy management and administration, inspects vaccine cold storage at Grey Hospital in Qonce (formerly King William's Town) in the Eastern Cape province., UNICEF/UN0748883/Peens nurse preparing a covid-19 vaccine ZAF-UN0748860.jpg, SM Fana prepares a COVID-19 vaccination at Grey Hospital in Qonce (formerly King William's Town) in the Eastern Cape province., UNICEF/UN0748860/Peens woman inspecting vaccines that was kept in cold storage nurse packing cold storage box for vaccine transportation nurse explaining to visitors women inspecting cold storage nurse preparing a covid-19 vaccine

PRETORIA, 05 September 2022 – COVID-19 associated deaths have left nearly 150,000 children as orphans, according to latest data modelling from Imperial College London, as part of the Global Reference Group for Children Affected by COVID-19: Joint Estimates and Action. That number rises to 207,400 when including children who have lost their primary…

Watch the story of how the #Zwakala campaign came to life across South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cold chain is a logistics management process for products that require specifically refrigerated temperatures. This involves performing a chain of tasks to prepare, store, and transport products along the cold supply chain. Failure to keep cold chain products cold will render them unusable, which leads to a wastage of the products. When cold…, Measuring the mid upper arm circumference of a child provides Measuring the mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) can determine whether a child or adult is malnourished and at risk for complications., UNICEF/UN0692787/Moultrie measuring-child-height UN0692792, A healthcare worker does a routine check up on a young boy at a clinic in Cape Town. Checking the height and weight of a child is critical to assess their overall health., UNICEF/UN0692792/Sheldon Moulton nurse-with-mother-and-baby UN0692786, A mother holds her baby while a healthcare worker does a routine check up at a clinic in Cape Town., UNICEF/UN0692786/Sheldon Moulton health-worker-discusses-road-to-health-booklet-with-mother UN0692781, A healthcare worker shows a mother the Road to Health booklet for child health at a clinic in, Cape Town. The UNICEF-supported Road to Health booklet provides useful information for mothers and expectant mothers., UNICEF/UN0692781/Sheldon Moulton health-workers-discuss-road-to-health-booklet UN0692790, UNICEF South Africa Chief of Health, Dr Sufang Guo and UNICEF South Africa Health Specialist Dr Mercy Kamupira perusing the Road to Health booklet at the Nomzamo Day Clinic outside Cape Town., UNICEF/UN0692790/Sheldon Moulton women-at-day-clinic UN0692788, UNICEF South Africa Cold Chain Management Consultant, Lizette Monteith with Sister Ndabazabo Martha Matisa at the Nomzamo Day Clinic outside Cape Town., UNICEF/UN0692788/Sheldon Moulton woman-show-vaccines-kept-in-cold-storage UN0692775, Donna Samuels, Operations Manager at the Cape Medical Depot, explains the cold chain logistics at the Depot in Cape Town. Storing vaccines at the correct temperatures is critical., UNICEF/UN0692775/Sheldon Moulton woman-inspecting-vaccines UN0692774, UNICEF cold chain management consultant Lizette Monteith, inspects vaccines in a storage room at the Nomzamo Day Centre., UNICEF/UN0692774/Sheldon Moulton man-taking-inventory-of-vaccines UN0692777, A logistics worker takes inventory at the vaccine storage units at the Cape Medical Depot in Cape Town. The Vaccine Depot is the nerve centre for vaccine distribution in the Western Cape., UNICEF/UN0692777/Sheldon Moulton vaxi-taxi UN0692776, Terrence Klaasen, Operations Manager for Emergency Management Services in the Western Cape with Lizette Monteith, UNICEF Cold Chain Management Consultant at the Vaxi-Taxi mobile vaccination site outside Stellenbosch. The Vaxi-Taxi brings vaccinations to those who may not be able to afford to visit a clinic., UNICEF/UN0692776/Sheldon Moulton measuring-arm-circumference-of-child measuring-child-height nurse-with-mother-and-baby health-worker-discusses-road-to-health-booklet-with-mother health-workers-discuss-road-to-health-booklet women-at-day-clinic woman-show-vaccines-kept-in-cold-storage woman-inspecting-vaccines man-taking-inventory-of-vaccines vaxi…

PRETORIA, 13 July 2022 – UNICEF South Africa is set to further expand its support to the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in South Africa thanks to a new commitment of USD$4.9 million from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office. The resources will strengthen cold chain management and systems, as well as communication and community engagement work, led by…

PRETORIA, 25 March 2021 – Two-years since South Africa entered its hard lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, a new photography project, ‘COVID through a youth lens’, will tell the specific story of living through the pandemic years as a young person.  Children have so far largely been spared from the most severe health impacts of the virus,…

It has been two-and-a-half years since the first case of Covid-19 was reported, yet we are still trying to fight this pandemic and save as many lives as we can. We have become accustomed to sanitizing our hands, but it is no longer compulsory for us to wear our masks in South Africa, which puts many of our most vulnerable more at risk of…

Vaccines save millions of lives each year. The development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines have been crucial in helping us get back to doing more of the things we enjoy with the people we love. We’ve gathered the latest expert information to answer some of the most common questions about COVID-19 vaccines., What are the benefits of getting vaccinated?, Vaccines save millions of lives each year and a COVID-19 vaccine could save yours. The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and provide the best protection against serious illness and death. WHO reports that unvaccinated people have at least 10 times higher risk of death from COVID-19 than someone who has been vaccinated.  It is important to…, Should I get vaccinated if I already had COVID-19?, Yes, you should get vaccinated even if you’ve previously had COVID-19. While people who recover from COVID-19 may develop natural immunity to the virus, it is still not certain how long that immunity lasts or how well it protects you against COVID-19 reinfection. Vaccines offer more reliable protection, especially against severe illness and death…, New COVID-19 infections and deaths have reduced significantly. That means we’re safe, so why should I vaccinate?, While new infections and deaths are down compared to the numbers reported in 2020 – 2021, it is still important to get as many people as possible vaccinated to cover most of the population in South Africa. Getting vaccinated is a safer way for you to develop immunity from COVID-19 than getting infected and it protects you from severe illness and…, How do COVID-19 vaccines work?, Vaccines work by mimicking an infectious agent – viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms that can cause a disease. This ‘teaches’ our immune system to rapidly and effectively respond against it. Traditionally, vaccines have done this by introducing a weakened form of an infectious agent that allows our immune system to build a memory of it. This…, Are COVID-19 vaccines safe?, Yes, COVID-19 vaccines have been safely used to vaccinate billions of people. The COVID-19 vaccines were developed as rapidly as possible, but they had to go through rigorous testing in clinical trials to prove that they meet internationally agreed benchmarks for safety and effectiveness. Only if they meet these standards can a vaccine receive…, How were COVID-19 vaccines developed so quickly?, Scientists were able to develop safe effective vaccines in a relatively short amount of time due to a combination of factors that allowed them to scale up research and production without compromising safety:  Because of the global pandemic, there was a larger sample size to study and tens of thousands of volunteers stepped forward  Advancements in…, What are the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines?, Vaccines are designed to give you immunity without the dangers of getting the disease. Not everyone does, but it’s common to experience some mild-to-moderate side effects that go away within a few days on their own. Some of the mild-to-moderate side effects you may experience after vaccination include: Arm soreness at the injection site Mild fever…, Can I still get COVID-19 after I have been vaccinated? What are ‘breakthrough cases’?, A number of vaccinated people may get infected with COVID-19, which is called a breakthrough infection. In such cases, people are much more likely to only have milder symptoms. Vaccine protection against serious illness and death remains strong. With more infectious virus variants such as Omicron, there have been more breakthrough infections. That…, How long does protection from COVID-19 vaccines last?, According to WHO, the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines wanes around 4-6 months after the primary series of vaccination has been completed. Taking a booster to strengthen your protection against serious disease is recommended if it is available to you. Use FindMyJab to locate your nearest vaccination provider., Do the COVID-19 vaccines protect against variants?, The WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines continue to be highly effective at preventing severe illness and death. However, the vaccines offer less protection against infection from Omicron, which is the dominant variant globally. That's why it's important to get vaccinated and continue measures to reduce the spread of the virus – which helps to reduce…, Do I need to get a booster shot?, Booster doses play an important role in protecting against severe disease, hospitalisation and death.  From the end of January 2023, people 50 years and older will be eligible for a 5 th booster dose and people 18 years and older will be eligible for a 4 th booster dose – 6 months after their previous shot. Data shows that a booster shot plays a…, When shouldn’t you be vaccinated against COVID-19?, If you have any questions about whether you should receive a COVID-19 vaccine, speak to your healthcare provider. At present, people with the following health conditions should not receive a COVID-19 vaccine to avoid any possible adverse effects: If you have a history of severe allergic reactions to any ingredients of a COVID-19 vaccine. If you…, I’m breastfeeding. Should I get vaccinated against COVID-19?, Yes, if you are breastfeeding you should take the vaccine as soon as it is available to you. It is very safe and there is no risk to the mother or baby. None of the current COVID-19 vaccines have live virus in them, so there is no risk of you transmitting COVID-19 to your baby through your breastmilk from the vaccine. In fact, the antibodies that…, I’m pregnant. Can I get vaccinated against COVID-19?, Yes, you can get vaccinated if you are pregnant. COVID-19 during pregnancy puts you at higher risk of becoming severely ill and of giving birth prematurely.  Many people around the world have been vaccinated against COVID-19 while pregnant or breastfeeding. No safety concerns have been identified for them or their babies. Getting vaccinated while…, Some say the COVID-19 vaccine causes impotency, infertility and negatively affects the sex drive. Won’t my sexual and reproductive health be affected?, No, you may have seen false claims on social media, but there is no evidence that any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines, can affect fertility in women or men. You should get vaccinated if you are currently trying to become pregnant. Use FindMyJab to locate your nearest vaccination provider., Could a COVID-19 vaccine disrupt my menstrual cycle?, Some people have reported experiencing a disruption to their menstrual cycle after getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Although data is still limited, research is ongoing into the impact of vaccines on menstrual cycles. Speak to your healthcare provider if you have concerns or questions about your periods. Use FindMyJab to locate your nearest…, How do I talk to my kids about COVID-19 vaccines?, News about COVID-19 vaccines is flooding our daily lives and it is only natural that curious young minds will have questions – lots of them. Read our  explainer article  for help explaining what can be a complicated topic in simple and reassuring terms. It’s important to note that from the millions of children that have so far been vaccinated…, If I’ve taken my Johnson & Johnson or two Pfizer doses, why do I need a booster?, Booster doses play an important role in protecting against severe disease, hospitalisation and death.  Data shows that a booster shot plays a significant role in boosting waning immunity and protecting against severe disease from highly transmissible variants like Omicron.  From the end of January 2023, people 50 years and older will be eligible…, Have people died from taking the vaccine?, There have been 2 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome – a very rare but potentially severe neurological adverse event that is associated with the administration of various vaccines and other medicines.  In many cases, GBS resolves with no serious after-effects, but in some cases GBS can cause serious or life-threatening problems. What is important to…, First COVID, and now a measles outbreak – what’s going on?, Cases of measles have been recorded in 5 provinces in South Africa. The outbreak has been attributed to consistent lower than optimal vaccine coverage of routine measles 1 and 2 doses, which increases the risk of being infected and of spreading the disease. COVID-19 further interrupted childhood vaccinations in South Africa but catch-up campaigns…, My friend or family member is against COVID-19 vaccines. How do I talk to them?, The development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines is a huge step forward in our global effort to end the pandemic. This is exciting news, but there are still some people who are skeptical or hesitant about COVID-19 vaccines. Chances are you know a person who falls into this category. We spoke to Dr. Saad Omer, Director at the Yale Institute…, Can COVID-19 vaccines affect your DNA?, No, none of the COVID-19 vaccines affect or interact with your DNA in any way. Messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines teach the cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response inside the body. This response produces antibodies which keep you protected against the virus. mRNA is different from DNA and only stays inside the cell for about 72…, Do the COVID-19 vaccines contain any animal products in them?, No, none of the WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines contain animal products. Use FindMyJab to locate your nearest vaccination provider., I’ve seen inaccurate information online about COVID-19 vaccines. What should I do?, Sadly, there is a lot of inaccurate information online about the COVID-19 virus and vaccines. A lot of what we’re experiencing is new to all of us, so there may be some occasions where information is shared, in a non-malicious way, that turns out to be inaccurate. Misinformation in a health crisis can spread paranoia, fear and stigmatization. It…, The Omicron variant, The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been called a variant of concern by WHO. Omicron is spreading faster than any previous variant. The overall risk related to this variant remains very high., What do we know about the subvariants of Omicron?, Since the Omicron variant emerged in late 2021, several subvariants have been observed. They’re all considered to be variants of concern, as the virus is circulating at intense levels worldwide. The BA.5 strain of Omicron is currently the dominant subvariant globally and the most contagious so far. BA.5 is not seen as more severe than the other…, What are the symptoms of the new XBB.1.5 or “Kraken” subvariant of Omicron?, It is not yet known if the severity of infection will be different to other Omicron sub-lineages. The World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution is conducting an ongoing risk assessment on XBB.1.5. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in South Africa: “Due to the widespread…, Is the Omicron variant more severe than other COVID-19 variants?, There is a reduced risk of hospitalization for Omicron compared to the Delta variant. But WHO warns that it should not be dismissed as “mild”. An increase in the number of COVID-19 related deaths because of the Omicron variant have been seen in many countries, especially where vaccination levels are low among vulnerable populations. It is…, Is the Omicron variant more contagious?, Yes, the Omicron variant is more contagious than previous variants. However, being vaccinated and taking precautions such as avoiding crowded spaces, keeping your distance from others and wearing a mask are critical in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  Read:  How can I protect myself and my family against the Omicron variant? Use…, Does the Omicron variant cause different symptoms?, There is no information to suggest that Omicron causes different symptoms from other COVID-19 variants. Omicron does however typically cause less severe disease than previous variants like Delta., Are the COVID-19 vaccines effective against the Omicron variant?, The WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines continue to be highly effective at preventing severe illness and death, including against Omicron.  Data shows that a booster shot plays a significant role in boosting waning immunity and protecting against severe disease from highly transmissible variants like Omicron. For best protection,  it's important to…, Is a prior COVID-19 infection effective against the Omicron variant?, If you had COVID-19 before, it is possible that you can be reinfected by Omicron. You should get vaccinated even if you’ve previously had COVID-19. While people who recover from COVID-19 may develop some natural immunity to the virus, we do not yet know how long it lasts or how well you are protected. Vaccines offer more reliable protection. Use…, Are children more likely to contract the Omicron variant?, The Omicron variant is the most transmissible variant to date for all age groups, including both adults and children. So, an increase in the number of children affected is expected. People who are mixing socially and those who are unvaccinated are more susceptible to contracting COVID-19.  Use FindMyJab to locate your nearest vaccination provider…, More resources to explore