The world is alarmingly off-track on delivering universal access to safe sanitation. For billions of people, toilets and sewage systems are still out of reach. Those living in poor and rural communities are at most risk of being left behind.   Over 700 children die every day from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water, sanitation, and poor hygiene. Over…, Kenya, sanitation in kenya: man walks across public latrines A man walks past public toilets in Kibera, the biggest informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. The city's sewer infrastructure was originally designed to support 800,000 people; the population now exceeds 4 million. Some 80 per cent of households in the city do not have access to sewer lines.…, Indonesia, sanitation in indonesia: woman holding a child exiting a communal toilet Hanifah holds her 11-month-old daughter Dinda in a newly constructed toilet outside their home in Central Java province, Indonesia. Their home was inundated by tidal floods, so she and her family were unable to use their previous toilet for almost two years, which led them to…, Jordan, sanitation in jordan: a young girl in her family bathroom Ayat, 7, at home in Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan. UNICEF works to provide Syrian refugees in camps and hard to reach areas with access to safe water and sanitation facilities. sanitation in jordan: a boy with disabilities washing his hands in the bathroom Hamzah, 13, at home in Za’atari…, India,   sanitation in india: a girl walks out of a toilet on stilts by an inlet Eriam Sheikh, 7, comes out from a toilet on stilts built over an inlet passing by Rafiq Nagar in Mumbai. sanitation in india: a girl emerges from of a toilet Sonalika Dalabehera, 6, stands in the door of a latrine in Sutarajpur village, India. She was taught from an early…

One stillbirth happens every 16 seconds. That’s about 2 million babies stillborn every year. What makes these deaths even more tragic is that the majority could have been prevented through quality care during pregnancy and at birth. Beyond the devastating loss of life, the psychological and financial costs for women, families and societies are…, Key facts about stillbirths, In the past two decades, 48 million babies were stillborn Stillbirth is a huge burden globally, with 1 in 72 births ending in stillbirth Most stillbirths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia Over 40 per cent of stillbirths occur during labour The majority of stillbirths can be prevented through quality care during pregnancy and at birth…, What is a stillbirth?, A stillbirth is defined as a baby born with no signs of life after a given threshold, usually related to the gestational age (period of time between conception and birth) or weight of the baby. As stillbirths are reported in different ways across countries, the UN stillbirth estimates in this article refer to “late gestation fetal deaths” as…, What are the main causes of stillbirths?, Commonly reported causes of stillbirth include complications during childbirth, haemorrhage before childbirth (including placental abruption), infections and maternal conditions, and pregnancy complications with fetal growth restriction as a common underlying cause. A mother’s health is also linked to causes of stillbirth. An estimated 10 per cent…, Why do so many women have stillbirths during labour?, Over 40 per cent of stillbirths occur during labour. Common causes of stillbirths that occur during labour are hypoxia (oxygen deprivation), placental obstruction and other delivery and labour related complications. Many of these can be avoided if key interventions, such as assisted vaginal delivery, skilled birth attendants or emergency C-…, Where do most stillbirths happen?, About half of all stillbirths occur in six countries: India, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, China and Ethiopia, in order of burden (highest to lowest). On average, the risk of a stillbirth is more than seven times higher in low-income countries (22.7 stillbirths per 1,000 total births) than in high-income countries (3.0…, Why is there so much stigma around stillbirths?, In some cultures, stillbirths are perceived as the mother’s fault, resulting in public shaming or individual feelings of guilt or shame that prevent public mourning of their loss. The lack of opportunity to publicly grieve can cause stillbirths to be considered “non-events”. Such social taboos, stigmas and misconceptions often silence families or…, What are the psychological impacts of stillbirths on mothers and families?, Women and their partners who experience stillbirth have higher rates of depression, anxiety and other psychological symptoms that may be long lasting. For many women, losing their child and the subsequent care they receive will impact their approach to life and death, self-esteem and even their own identity. Many women who experience a stillbirth…, What needs to be done to reduce stillbirths?, Improved health systems and high-quality antenatal and delivery care are critical to ending preventable stillbirths. This means access to functional health facilities with adequate medicine and equipment, electricity, running water, soap and blankets, and the availability of round-the-clock referral systems every day of the week. Adequate numbers…, What is UNICEF doing to reduce stillbirths?, Every day UNICEF is working around the world to make affordable, quality health care a reality for every mother and baby. In 2019, there were more than 27 million safe births in UNICEF-supported health facilities. UNICEF and partners are calling for a renewed commitment to end preventable stillbirths by 2030 as outlined in the Every Newborn Action…

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One stillbirth occurs every 16 seconds, which means that about 2 million babies are stillborn every year. While available data demonstrate that stillbirths are an increasingly critical global health problem, this traumatic loss of life remains a neglected issue in many countries. This new release of the first-ever joint stillbirth estimates by the…

While the extent and severity of the mortality impact of COVID-19 on children and youth is still unknown, the potential of a mortality crisis in 2020 threatens years of remarkable improvement and progress. The United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) produces estimates of child and young adolescent mortality…

The UNICEF Innocenti Report Card series is designed to monitor and compare the performance of economically advanced countries in securing the rights of their children. A new look at children from the world’s richest countries offers a mixed picture of their health, skills and happiness. Even countries with good social, economic and environmental…

Mothers and babies need to be cared for by a safe pair of hands. Access to quality care provided by a trained, equipped and supported health worker is critical for ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths. The briefing note ‘Investing in health workers to save maternal and newborn lives’ articulates recommended solutions to the main…

Every year, 30 million newborns globally require some level of inpatient care. A child’s early environment and experiences have a direct and long-term impact on his or her brain development and lay the foundation for health, learning, productivity, and well-being throughout the child’s life. This joint report by UNICEF and the World Health…

NEW YORK, 13 MAY 2020, – An additional 6,000 children could die every day from preventable causes over the next six months as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to weaken health systems and disrupt routine services, UNICEF said today. The estimate is based on an analysis by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, newly published in The Lancet…, Reimagine #Reimagine, , a global campaign to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from becoming a lasting crisis for children, especially the most vulnerable children – such as those affected by poverty, exclusion or family violence. Through the campaign, UNICEF is issuing an urgent appeal to governments, the public, donors and the private sector to join UNICEF as we seek to…, Respond., We must act now to stop the disease from spreading, help the sick, and protect first responders on the frontlines risking their own lives to save others., Recover., Even when the pandemic slows, each country will have to continue to work to mitigate the knock-on effects on children and address the damage inflicted. Communities will also have to work together, and across borders to rebuild and prevent a return of the disease., Reimagine., If we have learned anything from COVID-19, it’s that our systems and policies must protect people, all the time, not just in the event of a crisis. As the world recovers from the pandemic, now is the time to lay the groundwork for building back better. To kickstart the campaign, two of UNICEF’s valued partners -, Pandora, and, ING, - have both agreed to pledge a generous donation to show their part in answering the call to this appeal and to spur more donations from the public in the coming weeks. “The COVID-19 crisis is a child rights crisis. We need an immediate-, medium- and long-term response that not only addresses the challenges created by the pandemic and its…, Download photos, broll and, the paper, here, .  Review the, data for 118 countries here, ., The paper will go live in the Lancet Global Health journal on 12 May, 23.30 UK time: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(20)30229-1/fulltext   Learn about the #Reimagine campaign here: www.unicef.org/reimagine The authors of the Lancet Global Health study used the Lives Saved Tool (LiST) to model maternal and under-five…, About UNICEF’s Covid-19 Programme and Advocacy Response, The response is built around a six-point Agenda for Action that supports Governments and calls on decision-makers to: Keep children healthy and well nourished Reach vulnerable children with water, sanitation and hygiene Keep children learning Support families to cover their needs and care for their children Protect children from violence,…

The chances of survival for 6-month old Rahama were looking very slim. Rahama's 18-year-old mother, Masa’uda Abdullahi, was worried. “I gave birth to Rahama when I was only seven months pregnant. I was very afraid that I was going to lose her,” she said, cradling her baby. But a health worker who arrived in her community in Kebbi State, north-…