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Health
Tremendous progress in child and maternal health has been achieved over the past decades. More infants today live to celebrate their fifth birthday, while fewer women lose their lives during pregnancy and childbirth.
But millions of women and children are still dying from causes that can be prevented with quality health care and strong health systems. Communicable and non-communicable diseases, mental health conditions, injuries, malnutrition, environmental hazards: All pose threats to children worldwide. Still, within and among countries, stark inequities persist when it comes to accessing live-saving care.
Women and children living in poverty, with a disability, or in an emergency setting are especially likely to be cut off from services they need to survive and thrive. And the risk of disease and malnutrition soars during conflict, natural disaster and other crises.
Through it all, demographic changes threaten to strain global health systems. Children in 2030 will live in a world that is older and more urban. With fertility rates dropping and life expectancies rising, more children and elderly people will be dependent on those in the workforce. At the same time, income growth will shift young people into wealthier, but not necessarily healthier, environments. Public health emergencies and those stemming from environmental causes are also expected to become more frequent.
Immunization
Vaccines are among the greatest advances in global health and development. For over two centuries, vaccines have safely reduced the scourge of diseases like polio, measles and smallpox, helping children grow up healthy and happy. They save more than five lives every minute – preventing up to three million deaths a year.
Childhood diseases
Malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea, HIV and tuberculosis are preventable and treatable. But they are still killing children in large numbers. Children under 5 are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases.
HIV and AIDS
In the global effort to end HIV and AIDS, children and adolescents continue to fall behind. New cases of infection still occur at birth, during breastfeeding and in adolescence, and not enough children and adolescents living with HIV have access to testing and life-saving treatment.
Nutrition
Good nutrition is the bedrock of child survival and development. Well-nourished children are better able to grow, learn, play and participate in their communities. They are also more resilient in the face of crisis. Yet, many children are not getting the nutrition they need.
