Worldwide Measles Deaths Climb 50% from 2016 to 2019 Claiming Over 207,500 Lives in 2019

Mixed picture for Ireland, where Covid-19 has paused recent growth in measles cases, but risk of future increase remains DUBLIN/NEW YORK/ GENEVA/ ATLANTA, 12 November 2020 – Measles surged worldwide in 2019 reaching highest number of reported cases in 23 years.  Highlighted in a publication by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … Continued

UNICEF to stockpile over half a billion syringes by year end, as part of efforts to prepare for eventual COVID-19 vaccinations 

Initial preparatory work – in partnership with Gavi and WHO – will include purchasing boxes for the safe disposal of syringes and mapping out cold chain equipment to ensure delivery of effective vaccines New York/Dublin 19.10.2020 – As the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine, UNICEF has begun laying the groundwork for the rapid, safe and efficient delivery of the … Continued

UNICEF statement on allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

NEW YORK, 30 September 2020 – “UNICEF is appalled that people who identify as UNICEF workers have reportedly committed abuse against vulnerable women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Our team on the ground is doing a thorough assessment of the facts and will be joined by additional colleagues to seek further detailed information about … Continued

Teenagers in Ireland among the least satisfied with their lives in the OECD/EU region – UNICEF Report Card 

Minister launches new report ranks Ireland in top third for child well-being but shows young people struggling with mental health; highlights substantial threats from COVID-19 pandemic DUBLIN/FLORENCE/NEW YORK, 3 September 2020 –Suicide, unhappiness, obesity and poor social and academic skills have become far-too-common features of childhood in high-income countries, according to the latest Report Card … Continued

UNICEF: An additional 6.7 million children under 5 could suffer from wasting this year due to COVID-19

UNICEF calls for accelerated action to prevent and treat malnutrition caused by pandemic as humanitarian community appeals for $2.4 billion to improve maternal and child nutrition  DUBLIN/NEW YORK, 27 JULY 2020 – An additional 6.7 million children under the age of five could suffer from wasting – and therefore become dangerously undernourished – in 2020 … Continued

PRESS RELEASE: WHO and UNICEF warn of a decline in vaccinations during COVID-19

WHO and UNICEF call for immediate efforts to vaccinate all children as new data shows that, before the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine coverage stalled at 85 per cent for nearly a decade, with 14 million unvaccinated infants yearly In Ireland, rates for the first dose of measles vaccine fell in 2019 from 92 to 91 per … Continued

As more go hungry and malnutrition persists, achieving Zero Hunger by 2030 in doubt, UN report warns

Securing healthy diets for the billions who cannot afford them would save trillions in costs Rome, 13 July 2020 – More people are going hungry, an annual study by the United Nations has found. Tens of millions have joined the ranks of the chronically undernourished over the past five years, and countries around the world … Continued

STATEMENT: UNICEF Ireland welcomes the relocation of eight unaccompanied children from Greece

Statement attributable to Peter Power, Executive Director of UNICEF Ireland DUBLIN, 17.06.2020 – “The relocation of 8 unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children from the Greek Islands to Ireland today must be warmly welcomed. “These children, who have fled violence, conflict and poverty, survived dangerous journeys and stayed in dire conditions in crowded reception facilities, will … Continued

STATEMENT: An additional 51,000 children under the age of five might die in the Middle East and North Africa by end of 2020 due to COVID-19’s disruption in primary health care

Calls to support frontline health workers and systems to increase children’s access to basic health services From Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa and Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region AMMAN, 15 June 2020 – “The COVID-19 pandemic is putting health systems under unprecedented … Continued

As COVID-19 devastates already fragile health systems, over 6,000 additional children under five could die a day, without urgent action

UNICEF launches #Reimagine, a global campaign to prevent the pandemic from becoming a lasting crisis for children NOTE: Irish spokespersons are available for interview DUBLIN/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 … Continued

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