Health

Heat waves are anything but fun in the sun. Extreme heat and humidity can be extremely uncomfortable and pose serious health risks, especially for infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly. Without taking the proper precautions, extreme heat can lead to heat stroke and even worse, fatality. As a result of climate change, heat waves are…, Heat wave facts, Heatwave facts: A girl stands under the hot sun What is a heat wave?  Heat waves happen when the temperature is higher than normal for several days in a row. Humidity can cause it to feel much hotter. What causes a heat wave?  Heat waves result from warm air being trapped in the atmosphere and are a natural weather phenomenon. Heat waves are…, What to do in a heat wave, How to prepare for a heatwave: A girl stands next to a fan Be prepared Know how hot and humid it is going to get today, this week and this month to help plan outside activities. Keep an emergency kit at home that contains oral rehydration salt (ORS) packets, a thermometer, water bottles, towels or cloths to wet for cooling, a handheld fan or…, Signs and symptoms of heat-related illness, How to recognize symptoms of heatstroke: A girl looks confused as a caregiver supports her Severe symptoms of heat stress require urgent care.  If a family member is presenting any of the severe symptoms below you should call for an ambulance or arrange for another form of transport to a health facility immediately. Trust your instincts and don’t…, Symptoms of heat-related illness, Milder symptoms - treat at home Severe symptoms – take to hospital immediately General Dry lips/sticky mouth Excessive thirst Excessive sweating Weakness /dizziness Nausea/vomiting Small blisters/rashes Heat rashes Mild fever Nosebleeds Cramps, usually in arms and legs Confusion/not responding clearly /seizures/coma/not waking up (MOST SEVERE)…, How to treat heatstroke and heat-related illnesses, How to treat heat related illness: A girl lies on the floor while a caregiver provides water Take the following steps to help your loved one cool, rehydrate and recover:, 1. Cool and rush to health facility if severe, If a family member is experiencing severe symptoms of heat-related illnesses, it is important to cool first and transport second.   Help the person sit or lie down in a cool shaded area with good ventilation. Close curtains to create more shade. Turn on a fan or air conditioner if available. Apply wet towels to the skin at head, neck, armpits and…, 2. Reduce temperature, Move the person into a cool area if not done so already. Close curtains to create more shade. Turn on a fan or air conditioner if available.    Apply wet towels or cool water to the body, particularly at head, neck, armpits and groin. Keep changing the towels or dipping them in cool water every few minutes to provide cool water for the body. If…, 3. Rehydrate, Infants under six months: Breastfeed to rehydrate the infant. Encourage mother to also drink more water, especially if breastfeeding.  Older infants and children: Given your infant or child water in small amounts to help them become used to it.  If the child has sweated a lot or is sweating a lot, add some Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) to the water…

Ha Noi, 7 November 2023 – In support of the Government of Viet Nam’s priority to achieve digital transformation across all its work, UNICEF has teamed up with the Government of Japan to support the Ministry of Health to transform digital health information for children.  The shared goal is to ensure the availability of a comprehensive set of data…

Lead is poisoning around one in three children globally on a massive and previously unrecognized scale. Lead poisoning is a major contributor to intellectual disability among children in low- and middle-income countries. Lead is a public health hazard in every region of the world, contributing to disease burden, disability and death. Most of the…

Routine childhood immunization in Viet Nam boosted by arrival of WHO and UNICEF-supported pentavalent vaccines HA NOI, 27 July 2023 – With the urgent goal to protect children from life-threatening diseases, WHO and UNICEF welcomed today the shipment of lifesaving pentavalent vaccine to Viet Nam. The vaccines (185,700 doses) have been urgently…

Millions of children globally missed out on routine vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, previously controlled diseases like measles and polio have re-emerged.  Now’s the time to catch these children up on their missed vaccines, and #BuildBackImmunity to protect them, their families and their communities.  , The problem, During the COVID-19 pandemic, we witnessed the largest sustained decline in rates of childhood vaccinations in a generation.  Nearly 67 million children missed out on the routine vaccines that keep them safe from deadly disease during the COVID-19 pandemic.  This backsliding happened because routine immunization programmes were unable to reach as…, The solution, There is a solution. Large scale catch-up vaccination campaigns are an immediate solution to protect the children that missed out on their doses in the past few years.  This is an important first step in helping communities and their health systems recover from the shock of the pandemic. Vaccines protect families and communities – all of us – from…, The campaign, We’re beginning this global advocacy campaign on immunization with the launch of UNICEF’s flagship report: “State of the World’s Children – for every child, vaccination”.   The launch of the report will be followed with a series of sustained and coordinated global, regional, and national initiatives, calling on governments to prioritize catch-up…

We want to introduce you to three children: Marwan, Hind and Iman.  Their stories are powerful examples of one of humanity’s greatest public health achievements: vaccination, for every child.   A health centre. An immunization campaign. A camp for internally displaced people.   These are the settings where children like Marwan, Hind and Iman have…

Ha Noi, December 16, 2022 – The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Viet Nam recently concluded the “Safe Journeys” campaign with a closing ceremony that looks back at the nine-month journey to equip the public with accurate information on COVID-19 prevention and control…

Hanoi, 17 November 2022 – Today marks World Prematurity Day, an opportunity to raise awareness on preterm birth challenges and shine a light on the risks and impacts faced by preterm infants and their families. Preterm birth is the leading cause of death among children under the age of five. Every year an estimated 15 million babies (about 1 in 10…

What are your assessments on the Vietnamese Government’s efforts in raising the vaccination coverage in the country?  Ms Rana Flowers: Viet Nam has now implemented the largest-scale vaccination campaign ever attempted-and it has been very successful-reaching the target population of those above 12 years against COVID-19. Think back just over a…

NEW YORK/ GENEVA, 27 April 2022 – An increase in measles cases in January and February 2022 is a worrying sign of a heightened risk for the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases and could trigger larger outbreaks, particularly of measles affecting millions of children in 2022, warn WHO and UNICEF. Pandemic-related disruptions, increasing…

When UNICEF helped launch the largest vaccine operation effort in history, the focus was to make sure that every community was protected from COVID-19. And since the COVAX initiative began in February 2021, more than 1.4 billion doses have reached more than 140 countries.   In some cases, a vaccine represents an opportunity to see and hug a…, Thanks to more vaccines and the efforts of volunteers, Bangladesh's vaccination rate has risen sharply , When the first COVID-19 vaccines supplied by COVAX touched down in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, in June 2021, less than four per cent of all adults were fully vaccinated. Fast forward less than a year and that number has risen dramatically. By the beginning of April, 67 per cent of the population had received two doses.   COVAX has played a…, Grandparents in Peru are able to see and hug their grandchildren thanks to the COVID-19 vaccines  , Artemio Baldoceda is a grandfather and he speaks for so many when he describes what it means to him to get the COVID-19 vaccine.  “Joy in my heart because I’m getting a little more life to have my family, and for my family to have me. You miss the grandchildren, especially. One waits for that moment to come when you can bear hug them.”  Artemio…, Viet Nam’s vaccination rate has soared in just half a year, meaning that almost every adult is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 , There’s been a rapid rise in the COVID-19 vaccination rate in Viet Nam over the past few months. In September 2021, less than 10 per cent of all adults in the country had received both doses. But by April 2022, more than 78 per cent of those aged over 12-years had been given two shots.  UNICEF has been working with Viet Nam’s government to provide…, Making sure that remote and disaster-prone communities in the Philippines have access to COVID-19 vaccines  , In the Philippines, the COVID-19 vaccination rate has risen significantly recently. Back in September 2021, less than 18 per cent of the population had been fully vaccinated. Half a year later, by April 2022, that vaccination rate now stands at more than 59 per cent. About one in three of all the COVID-19 vaccines that have been given to people in…, COVAX moving forward, As the number of COVID-19 vaccines on the market has increased, there are today enough doses to meet the needs of low- and middle-income countries. So, the focus now is less about resolving supply constraints. Instead, the priority moving forward is to make sure that vaccines are turned into vaccinations. That means supporting countries with…

A-big-thank-you Protecting the next generation through vaccines is a mission we’ve shared across continents and centuries. It's a mission that’s paid off. Vaccines have saved more lives than any other invention in human history. That’s a remarkable achievement and there are a lot of people who have made that possible. They deserve our gratitude.…, Read this love letter to someone you've never met. Read this love letter to someone you've never met., His name was James Phipps, and in 1796 when he was just 8 years old, Edward Jenner gave him the first modern vaccine. This vaccine defended him against smallpox. It was inspired by centuries of innovation by the physicians of North Africa, the grandmothers of Constantinople and the doctors of Ming Dynasty China, all seeking ways to protect the…, Our thanks and our gratitude , going-above-and-beyond, Going above and beyond, There are so many people that have gone above and beyond to protect children with vaccines. Of course, all the scientists who have invented lifesaving vaccines down the years. Then there are the volunteers in vaccine trials and the workers who pack vials at factories. Now, imagine all the boat crews, the pilots, the drivers and the healthcare…, Strong health systems, We also pay tribute to every government that takes health care seriously. Because right now, it’s never been clearer. The only way out of an epidemic – or a pandemic – is equitable healthcare and stronger health systems for all. Find out more about what a How the COVID-19 pandemic is proving it’s crucial to improve health systems strong health…, A crucial moment, We say thanks at a pivotal point in time. In the past two decades, more than 1.1 billion children have been immunized. Every year, vaccines save the lives of up to 3 million children. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time in 30 years, the routine immunization of children has slipped. As we invest to recover from the pandemic, we…, One more important person to thank, You. That’s right. If you’ve ever been vaccinated, you’re part of the arm-to-arm chain that keeps every one of us safe. You are the living proof of what humanity can do. Thank you so much.