Immunization

Every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer. Around the world, new cases of cervical cancer are rising at an alarming rate.   Yet routine vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer, can prevent the vast majority of cases. When combined with cervical cancer screening and treatment, HPV vaccines…, 1. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. , In 2022, around 350,000 women died from cervical cancer and around 660,000 new cases arose. These preventable deaths and infections have tragic and long-felt impacts on children, families and communities. Sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and South-East Asia have the highest rates of cervical cancer deaths.    , 2. Almost all cervical cancer cases are linked to HPV. , More than 95 per cent of cervical cancer cases are caused by the human papillomavirus.   HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world. There are over 200 types of HPV and most have no symptoms. However, high-risk types of HPV can lead to chronic infections and pre-cancerous growths, which is why prevention and screening are…, 3. HPV vaccines can protect against up to 90 per cent of cervical cancer cases., Being vaccinated is the most effective way to avoid HPV infection and can protect against the HPV strains that cause up to 90 per cent of cervical cancer cases.    Many countries have introduced the HPV vaccine into their routine immunization programmes, primarily targeting girls 9 to 14 years of age. But more is needed.   As of 2022,  fewer than…, 4. Cervical cancer screening and treatment are effective and necessary., Routine screening tests are an effective way to detect and diagnose cervical cancer. If diagnosed early, cervical cancer can often be cured by surgery alone.   Cost-effective and evidence-based tools for screening and treatment are available, but too many women and girls simply don’t have access to these interventions through their local health…, 5. Women and girls in the world’s poorest countries are most at risk., Cervical cancer has an overwhelmingly disproportionate impact on the health and well-being of women and girls in low- and middle-income countries, reflecting deep global inequities. Of the estimated cervical cancer deaths in 2022, over 90 per cent took place in low- and middle-income countries. Increasing access to affordable vaccination,…, How UNICEF is helping, UNICEF, in collaboration with donors and partners, is working to increase access to the prevention, screening and treatment necessary to realize the elimination of cervical cancer by: Providing countries with HPV vaccines and diagnostic tests that are affordable, timely and reliable.   Strengthening health systems to ensure they can effectively…

Welcome to AIDA (About Immunization: Dialogue and Advice). AIDA is a free chatbot that provides accurate information about vaccines. Developed by health experts from UNICEF, AIDA is a service for parents and caregivers to learn about childhood vaccines and have their important questions answered. Vaccination is a safe and effective way to protect…

24 April 2024 | Geneva / New York / Seattle – A major landmark study in be published by The Lancet reveals that global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives – or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year – over the past 50 years. The vast majority of lives saved – 101 million – were those of infants. The study,…

GENEVA, 14 December 2023 – There have been 30,601 confirmed cases of measles in Europe and Central Asia between January and 5 December 2023, up from 909 throughout 2022, marking a 3266 per cent increase in cases of the vaccine-preventable disease, warns UNICEF. Data also point to a more recent worsening trend as the rate of measles cases in Europe…

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…

BUCHAREST, May 12, 2023 - In the last two years, the National Institute for Public Health (NIPH) in Romania has made significant progress in digitizing the immunization information systems. Specifically, the National Electronic Vaccination Registry (RENV), until last year operational only for the COVID-19 response, is now collecting data for and…, The visit in Romania is part of a two-year programme UNICEF is implementing with USAID funding on “Strengthening Social and Health Protection in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina”.

" You're so brave and courageous ," says pediatrician Mădălina Băluță to her little patient Emma, who is just 19 weeks old. With her big curious eyes, Emma looks around and examines every corner of the medical room, watching carefully everything that is going on around her, and smiling every time her mother caresses her.  Emma was born in…

BUCHAREST, 20 April 2023 – The public perception of the importance of vaccines for children declined during the COVID-19 pandemic in 52 out of 55 countries studied, UNICEF warned today in a new report on immunization. The State of the World’s Children 2023: For Every Child, Vaccination reveals the perception of the importance of vaccines for…

In September 2022, the Association of Independent Midwives, with UNICEF’s support, launched the “Caring for Mothers” Network, organizing a series of training courses for 250 people - doctors, midwives, nurses in primary care and maternity wards, aiming to improve mothers and children’s access to healthcare and support, including antenatal care,…

Information Brochure ChallengeEvery growing child needs nurturing care, good environment opportunities Good Health Opportunities Learning Adequate Nutrition Responsive Challenge and child protectionsuch support is timely and quality guidance OpportunityThere is an opportunity to innovate how to support parents They provide a limited thematic…

Our new free Bebbo application for parents is the only tool parents need to give their children ‘A good start for a lifetime’. Supporting them and guiding them all the way through their child’s development years, from 0 to 6 years old. The Bebbo app helps you with answers to all your questions about parenting, all from the palm of your hand.  , Download the free Bebbo app now!, Google play App store, Parenting is hard, all parents can use some support,   Each and every child needs nurturing, nutrition, loving care, good health, and a stimulating & safe environment that offers plenty of support for early learning. All parents need support and have millions of questions on how to assist their children to grow healthy and smart. This is where Bebbo comes into play! The free app developed by…, How does Bebbo help you with your child’s development?,   The Bebbo App has a huge range of helpful features empowering parents to make the right decisions when it comes to the care and development of their child. Encouraging parents to engage daily with suggested articles and games that will help their little ones hit those key development milestones while growing healthy and happy., Features include:  , Bebbo Bebbo read Bebbo Bebbo read Suggested Daily Reads Every day the app will suggest a daily game and an article from a rich library of parenting advice written by experts, covering a large range of topics available in the app, such as baby weaning and early learning. All advice can be quickly saved as favorites and shared with other parents or…, Discover parenting app created by experts for parents of young children.,  , Download FREE App now!, Google play Google play Bebbo was developed with support from: The Austrian Development Agency and the European Union. Austrian Development Cooperation EU

Monkeypox is a rare viral infection caused by a virus belonging to the family Poxviridae. These viruses are transmitted directly or indirectly from animals to humans and, since they are highly resistant in dry environments or at high temperatures, they persist on infected surfaces for a longer period of time. However, despite the resistance of the…, What are the symptoms?, Monkeypox is characterised by mild symptoms and most infected patients recover within a few weeks, with no treatment required. Research has shown that monkeypox generally has an incubation period of 6 to 13 days and the symptoms developed may include: vesicular rash, which can cause pruritus (itching) or lesions on any part of the body (including…, What to do if you get sick?, If someone suspects that they have been infected with the virus and has specific symptoms, they should contact their doctor and provide recent travel information and their vaccination history. It is advisable for people travelling to endemic countries to avoid contact with sick animals and consuming wild game., How is monkeypox transmitted?, Monkeypox is transmitted through prolonged direct contact with someone who has been infected with the virus or through prolonged contact with contaminated objects. The virus can enter the body through skin lesions, the respiratory tract, eyes, nose or mouth as well as through close contact with body fluids. Monkeypox can also be transmitted from…, How can you protect yourself?, You need to perform proper hand hygiene, using water and soap or alcohol-based hand rub. It is advisable for those infected to be isolated and people who come into contact with them should use appropriate protective measures, such as masks and gloves. A vaccine for preventing monkeypox has already been approved, but studies have shown that the…, Emergence of monkeypox, Monkeypox was first detected in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where most human cases of monkeypox have been reported so far. It later spread to other countries in West and Central Africa, but Europe has not become an endemic area. In the past few weeks, a number of monkeypox cases have been reported in several Member…