The well-being of children in sub-Saharan Africa is under siege from all directions since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. The region is now suffering its first-ever economic recession, pushing about 50 million people into extreme poverty, a majority of whom are children.
This video is a 4-minute summary of the Determinants of Health! Determinants are factors that can influence a person’s health. While the focus of health interventions has typically been, who people are and what they do, the conditions in which they are born, grow, live, work and age are critically... important in determining the health of individuals and communities.
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In where under-five mortality is high and vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem, two high-dose supplements of vitamin A per year, spaced four to six months apart, can strengthen children’s immune systems and improve their chances of survival.
During much of early childhood – from... 6 months to 5years of age – two high doses of vitamin A every year can prevent blindness and hearing loss, boost children’s immunity against diseases like measles and diarrhoea and provide critical protection against death. Like all forms of malnutrition, vitamin A deficiency is a marker of inequality. In countries where diets are lacking in vitamin A and infections and deaths are prevalent, supplementation programmes give vulnerable children a better chance to survive, develop and thrive.
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Fully functioning water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and health care waste management services are a critical aspect of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, and ensuring patient safety and quality of care. Such services are also essential for creating an environment that supports the dig...nity and human rights of all care seekers, especially mothers, newborns, children and care providers.
WASH and waste services are also critical for preventing and effectively responding to disease outbreaks. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed gaps in these basic services (Box 1). These gaps threaten the safety of patients and caregivers, and have environmental consequences, especially as a result of large increases in plastic health care waste. In short, WASH is a critical foundation for improving quality across the health system (1).
Many facilities lack plans and budgets for WASH, which has impacts on IPC. This lack of services, and of systems to improve them, compromises the ability to provide safe and quality care, and places health care providers and those seeking care at substantial risk of infection and loss of dignity. Unhygienic health care facilities without drinking water or functional toilets are also a disincentive to seeking care and undermine staff morale – these factors can have a critical impact on controlling infectious disease outbreaks.
Climate change and its impacts on WASH and health services, gender-specific needs, and equity in service provision and management all require rigorous attention, adaptable tools and regular monitoring.
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Cureus. 2015 Nov; 7(11): e372.
Published online 2015 Nov 3. doi: 10.7759/cureus.372
PMCID: PMC4671837
PMID: 26677422
The consequences of the failing health system has immediate and longer-term impacts on children . April 2022
Available in English and Arabic
Kenya is home to 4 million girls and women who have experienced FGM. Overall, 21 per cent of girls and women aged 15 to 49 years have undergone the practice, varying from 98 per cent in the North Eastern region to 1 per cent in the Western region
This report presents the most current data on four specific forms of violence – violent discipline and exposure to domestic abuse during early childhood; violence at school; violent deaths among adolescents; and sexual violence in childhood and adolescence. The statistics reveal that children expe...rience violence across all stages of childhood, in diverse settings, and often at the hands of the trusted individuals with whom they interact daily. The report concludes with specific national actions and strategies that UNICEF has embraced to prevent and respond to violence against children.
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January 2019
Non Communicable Disease Control Programme Directorate General of Health Services Health Services Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
The New England Journal of Medicine, 378;2
Los niños de hoy, y sus hijos, son los que vivirán las consecuencias del cambio climático.
A supplement to The State of the World’s Children Report 2009
The Cholera Q&A Fact Sheet provides essential information about cholera, including its causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention. Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae, which spreads through contaminated water and food. It leads to rapid dehydration and can be fatal if un...treated. Symptoms range from mild diarrhea to severe dehydration, shock, and death.
Treatment primarily involves Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) to replace lost fluids, and in severe cases, intravenous fluids. Antibiotics are generally not recommended for mass treatment. Prevention focuses on safe drinking water, sanitation, hand hygiene, and proper food handling.
The document also discusses cholera vaccination, with three WHO-approved oral vaccines available. However, vaccines should be used alongside other control measures. The Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) aims to eliminate cholera transmission in 20 countries by 2030 through improved sanitation, vaccination, and rapid outbreak response.
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