Expanding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine access is vital to eliminate cervical cancer. Here are about HPV and vaccines.
UNICEF
Parenting may not always be easy, but it's filled with meaningful, lasting moments that shape both .
The Smurfs, alongside the UN’s ActNow campaign and , are inspiring children worldwide to speak up for fairness, empowerment, and a more inclusive future, with support from global stars like Rihanna and Hannah Waddingham.
As global aid declines, vital services for children, like healthcare and immunization, are collapsing, threatening millions of lives and undermining progress in humanitarian and development efforts.
When conflict dominates the news, children often feel scared or anxious and look to their parents for reassurance and a sense of safety.
When parents and children connect through play, it’s magical. Choose play every day because every moment matters.
What does parenting really look like?
June is , and invites you into the lives of four families as they navigate the everyday joys and challenges of parenthood. With support from The LEGO Foundation, this short film is a powerful reminder that just as there is no one way to raise a child, there is also no one way to be a parent.
Join us on June 1 2025, and let's watch it together.
The weeks since the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza have seen yet more pain and tragedy piled on top of what was already almost unfathomable loss. The ongoing bombardments, and the entering the Gaza Strip, have strained the humanitarian response to the limit. Since the start of this war in Gaza, thousands of children have been killed and many thousands more have been injured. But even for those who survive the injuries, life will never be the same. These are some of their stories.
From measles to polio, immunization has saved 154 million lives in 50 years—and holds the key to a future where no child dies from preventable diseases.
is a deadly but preventable disease that still kills over 100,000 children each year, mostly in low-income countries. While vaccines have nearly eliminated it in wealthy nations, poor access and weak health systems keep it a major global threat.
Seven years after hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled horrific violence and persecution in Myanmar, refugee children and their families are still living in the sprawling, overcrowded camps. With little to no opportunity to earn a livelihood, families living in the camps rely almost entirely on humanitarian assistance. As a result, Rohingya living in the camps have limited access to diverse and nutrient-rich foods. A combination of an unusually long monsoon season in 2024, further displacement, intermittent reductions in food rations, and now a global aid funding crisis have contributed to a deepening malnutrition crisis that saw a in severe acute malnutrition cases in February 2025 compared with a year earlier.
The ongoing war in Lebanon is upending children’s lives, and in many cases, inflicting severe physical wounds and deep emotional scars.
“There are also great stories and children who I see, who you know, are so resilient, children who have hope for the future.â€
Catherine Russell never forgets the children she meets. As Executive Director of UNICEF, she bears witness to the stories of tens of millions of children and young people suffering around the world, and shares causes for optimism and hope wherever she finds it.
“Children just want to be children. No matter what, the bleakest situation, the most terrible things, they still want to play right? They want to find some joy. They want to just be kids, and I think that's what we have to all work to protect.â€
2024 was one of the worst years on record for children in conflict, a devastating statistic that the UN is refusing to accept as a deadly new normal. In this episode, Catherine reflects on the impacts of childhood trauma, the limits of human resilience, and looks back on a childhood spent trick-or-treating for UNICEF.
Photo: ©UNICEF/UN0733293/Truong Viet Hung
* Episode recorded end of 2024
The situation in Sudan is devastating, marked by horrific violence and massive displacement. Amid this crisis, a looming nutrition disaster threatens future generations. Over 20 months of conflict have led to soaring malnutrition rates, with approximately 3.2 million children under five at risk of acute malnutrition by 2025 and over 770,000 expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition. Children facing this condition are vulnerable to developmental issues, diseases, and even death. The nutrition crisis is exacerbated by disease outbreaks, declining access to health services, and unprecedented displacement. In response, is rapidly scaling up its nutrition efforts to combat the heightened risk of famine.
works in the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children and adolescents – and to protect the rights of every child, everywhere. Before, during and after humanitarian emergencies, UNICEF is on the ground, bringing lifesaving help and hope to children and families. Non-political and impartial, we are never neutral when it comes to defending children’s rights and safeguarding their lives and futures. And we never give up.