After WASH report, burden of eradicating open defecation shifts to Africa
Around 196 million of the 494 million people practising open defecation in the world are from sub-Saharan Africa
Need emergency action to avert measles and polio epidemics, warn UN bodies
$655 million would be needed to address the immunity gaps in non-Gavi eligible countries and target age groups
WHO launches special programme to prevent infant deaths
The First Embrace campaign will focus on saving more than 50,000 newborns and prevent complications in neonatal care in the Western Pacific region
By 2015, Nigeria will account for one-fifth of all births in Africa
With increasing poverty and lack of educational infrastructure, many children will be driven towards crime, violence and insurgency
What Africa needs to do to avert demographic disaster
Better family planning and support from international community much needed, says Unicef
Ghana’s community-based volunteers are saviours for many kids
A sizeable number of people in communities across the country, especially Ghana's Northern Region, do not have access to health facilities
India's polio-free status a cruel joke
The definition of polio has been changed repeatedly since the programme was launched, thus automatically leading to a drastic fall in the number …
Heavy rain triggered 10,000 landslides in Maharashtra in July 2021: Study
Report bats for early warning system to minimise losses to life, property
Odisha bets on departments working together to end child marriages
The state has declared 5,600 villages free of child marriage since January 2021 amid COVID-19 pandemic
Deaths by exposure to hazardous chemicals increased 29% between 2016 and 2019: WHO
While most of these deaths are preventable, countries still don’t have enough legal control on the use of hazardous compounds such as lead
25% healthcare centres lack water facilities, 20% sanitation facilities: WHO
The report highlights that each year 17 million women in least developed countries give birth in centres with inadequate facilities for water, …
WHO urges countries to adopt First Embrace to save millions of newborns
Within 4 years, the Early Essential Newborn Care has benefitted 4 million newborns annually
Highlights of 2016 UNICEF report on the state of the world's children
The UNICEF report, titled The State of the World's Children 2016, makes startling revelations on prevalence of inequity in child health, …
Poor access to healthcare hits HIV eradication goal
UNICEF says its global goal of reducing new HIV infections in children by 90 per cent between 2009 and 2015 is still out of reach
15 African nations set up fund to fight Ebola
The recent outbreak of disease has claimed about 500 lives; medics continue efforts to combat misconceptions and mistrust around the disease
Despite having toilets at home, many in rural India choose to defecate in open
Programmes launched to promote use of latrines have failed to influence sanitation behaviours of many people
Over 19 million kids in Bangladesh at risk from climate change
UNICEF report says nearly 86% of these children living in 17 districts are under threat from floods and cyclones
WHO, Unicef target to avoid 50 million vaccine-preventable infections this decade
UN and other agencies launch new programme that aims to ensure immunisation benefits are shared equitably by humanity
3.9 million people in South Sudan facing severe hunger, says UN report
An analysis shows that at least 30,000 people are living in extreme conditions and are facing starvation and death
Climate-resilient water, sanitation & hygiene policies need of hour to meet global agenda of 2030
The 10 African countries most water-insecure & climate-impacted need immediate attention
India bears world’s highest health, economic burden due to lead poisoning: Centre
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh have highest average blood lead levels, a CSIR and Niti Aayog …
World Breastfeeding Week 2023: Supportive workplaces needed to reach global breastfeeding targets
Rate of breastfeeding at 48%, up by 10 percentage points over past decade, say WHO & UNICEF
Gender-based violence plagues Odisha despite govt efforts
Odisha reported the highest cases of assault against women in the country, according to 2018 NCRB data
Early breastfeeding practices in India: Backwardness cuts through social spectrum
Children born in Goa (75.4 per cent) had the highest rate of early breastfeeding in the country, followed by Sikkim (69.7 per cent) and Odisha (68.…
Children demand inclusion in water and sanitation programmes at UNICEF forum
More than 50 children from across the world participated at the two-day conference in Tajikistan