LOME, May 4th, 2026 – Africa’s potential for human capital development and economic growth is severely undermined by inadequate progress in improving maternal nutrition and early childhood development. Malnutrition robs children of their futures and compromises national productivity and economies. Although the prevalence of stunting has fallen from 40% in 2000 to 33% in 2024,…
Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, has called for urgent and sustained investment in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as a critical foundation for improving learning outcomes, advancing gender equality, and driving long-term economic growth across Africa. Speaking at the Southern and East Africa Regional Childcare Conference on Monday, which she co-hosted with the World…
The Big Catch-Up, launched during World Immunization Week 2023, has delivered over 100 million vaccine doses to an estimated 18.3 million children across 36 countries Around 12.3 million were “zero-dose children” who had not previously received any vaccines and 15 million who had never received a measles vaccine. The initiative concluded in March 2026 and…
Pediatric cancer specialists, researchers and policymakers from across the world have called for urgent, coordinated action to improve childhood cancer survival rates in Africa, stressing the need for adaptable solutions driven by collaboration, innovation and research. The call was made at the recently held 16th Biennial Congress of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP)…
United Nations — The latest data highlights that the world is off track to meet the targets set by the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) to achieve 90 percent global immunization coverage for essential childhood vaccines and halve the number of unvaccinated children by 2030. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund…
Geneva/New York — In 2024, 89 per cent of infants globally – about 115 million – received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine, and 85 per cent – roughly 109 million – completed all three doses, according to new national immunization coverage data released today by the World Health…
A federal vaccine advisory committee plans to review the childhood vaccination schedule and scrutinize vaccines that have been approved for decades, fueling concerns that the panel may consider changes to long-standing vaccine recommendations. On Wednesday, the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices convened for the first time. Earlier this month, Health Secretary Robert F….
