UNICEF Papua New Guinea

Almost every day a child in Papua New Guinea dies from meningitis. Families grieve, dreams are lost, and futures are taken away. This is unacceptable - especially when safe and effective vaccines are freely available to every child. We can change this. Make sure your child receives all their routine immunizations. If a dose has been missed, do not wait – visit your nearest health facility as soon as possible. Good hygiene also helps reduce the spread of meningitis. Wash hands regularly with soap and running water, cover coughs and sneezes, and always use toilets. Meningitis can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time, taking a healthy life in a matter of hours. Be alert to the warning signs: high fever, persistent crying due to headache, extreme sleepiness or irritability, vomiting, or stiffness in the body and neck. If your child shows these symptoms, seek medical care immediately. Early treatment can save lives. For those who do survive, meningitis can cause lifelong disabilities such as hearing loss, brain damage, limb loss or epilepsy, often requiring long-term care and support. Meningitis is not unstoppable. Together, we can protect our children and #DefeatMeningitis. #WorldMeningitisDay

Today is #WorldTeachersDay! Teachers around the country are overcoming challenges every day to make sure that children learn knowledge and skills necessary to their lives. Between 2018 to 2023, nearly 10,000 teachers have participated in the training for the use of supplies and other training materials with support from UNICEF and partners. However, challenges like poor investments in teachers training, learning resources and quality assurance remain and impede the learning and development of children. Children’s education is a shared responsibility between parents, teachers, community, and the Government. We are all teachers for our children! #Education #ForEveryChild #PapuaNewGuinea

Papua New Guinea’s immunization coverage has plateaued below 50% for over a decade. When many children are left unvaccinated, diseases can spread quickly, and outbreaks happen – polio has returned because too many children missed their routine immunization. Routine immunization is free, safe, and shields children from 10 deadly but preventable diseases. Parents and caregivers should plan seven visits to a health facility in the first 18 months of life: At birth, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 18 months. By completing the full schedule, children build strong protection that lasts a lifetime. If your child has missed a dose, don’t wait – every vaccine counts. Visit your nearest health facility immediately to give your child full protection and the best shot of a healthy future. #RoutineImmunization #ForEveryChild #PapuaNewGuinea

Poor sanitation puts children at risk of infectious diseases and malnutrition that can impact their overall development, learning and, later in life, economic opportunities. Without basic sanitation services, people are forced to use inadequate communal latrines or to practice open defecation, posing a risk to health and livelihoods. We are calling on the Government of Papua New Guinea to immediately endorse the National WASH Authority ensuring coordinated, accountable, and scalable delivery of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services. This is a critical step toward ensuring that every child in Papua New Guinea enjoys the basic human right to clean water and decent sanitation. #WASHServices #ForEveryChild #PapuaNewGuinea

On average, 10 children in PNG lose their lives every week in traffic, but this is preventable. Roads become safer for children when everyone in the community begins to understand road safety rules and follows them. Read More: https://lnkd.in/gHVKSZF3 #RoadSafety #ForEveryChild #PapuaNewGuinea

Every child, everywhere, has the right to play. It is how they explore, learn and make sense of the world around them. What is your child’s favourite way to play? #EarlyMomentsMatter #ForEveryChild #PapuaNewGuinea

“It’s terrible that a child could be born and die in this country and no one will know about it” says Jane Holden, Chief Executive officer for Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority. In Papua New Guinea, just 13% of children are registered. This significantly hinders their ability to access essential services and legal protections. However, this is about to change. The PNG Civil & Identity Registry(PNG CIR) has signed an agreement with seven highlands provincial health authorities to establish birth registration units at each of the provincial hospitals. With support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, UNICEF has been providing technical support to strengthen the PNG CIR in addition to the donation of 44 mobile birth registration kits - two for each province - to help reach more children. At Mt Hagen General Hospital in Western Highlands Province, 5,800 babies are born every year. “I’m very excited to be one of the PHAs participating in this initiative,” says Jane Holden. “This partnership brings registration services directly to where babies should be born, and it’s a step toward universal birth registration,” adds Paula Vargas, Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF Papua New Guinea. These hospitals now join Port Moresby General Hospital (POMGEN) in offering on-site birth registration right next to the labour ward. Right now at POMGEN, parents can register children and family members for free on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And this is just the beginning. UNICEF and the PNGCIR are also establishing partnerships with churches, CSOs and private sector to accelerate birth registration across the country – stay tuned. © UNICEF/UN0298705/Dozier UNICEF Australia

10-year-old Jessica patiently waits while her parents complete their 5th session of the Parenting for Child Development Program in a village in Morobe Province. Over the past three years, more than 15,000 parents and caregivers across six provinces in Papua New Guinea have taken part in parenting programs supported by UNICEF—learning to replace harsh discipline with nurturing care. Currently in Papua New Guinea, 3 in 4 children experience violence, with 85% of fathers admitting to hitting their children. These harsh parenting practices are both ineffective and can have negative consequences ranging from immediate impacts to long-term harm. The Parenting for Child Development Program gained national momentum when Papua New Guinea joined the First Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children. There, the government pledged to scale up positive parenting nationwide recognising it as essential to protecting children and preventing violence. With this strong commitment, parenting support is no longer a side effort—it's becoming a cornerstone of child protection in Papua New Guinea. Parenting matters. When caregivers are supported, children thrive. #ChildProtection #ForEveryChild #PapuaNewGuinea

In East Asia and the Pacific, children face climate-related hazards six times more often than their grandparents. Floods wash away homes, scorching heat strikes without warning, and polluted air clouds their playgrounds. Now, as ever, we need bold innovations that can disrupt the climate crisis and protect children’s futures. The UNICEF Climate Innovation Challenge is now open to early and growth-stage tech start-ups in emerging economies doing just that. UNICEF Innovation is on the lookout for:  🟢 frontier tech solutions protecting children from extreme heat, floods, droughts & pollution  🟢 AI + data-driven tools for climate resilience  Startups selected will gain:  ⚡ 10+ hours of expert mentorship  ⚡ Support to sharpen product & investment readiness  ⚡ Visibility with UNICEF + partners  Take part now! ⏳ Deadline: 21 Oct 👇 Link is in the comments India Health Fund Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) Nicholas Ledner UNICEF Indonesia UNICEF Viet Nam UNICEF Pacific UNICEF Mongolia UNICEF Malaysia UNICEF Cambodia UNICEF Thailand Simon Nazer UNICEF Papua New Guinea UNICEF Timor-Leste UNICEF China UNICEF Philippines

Spending time online can bring its own set of challenges for children – from digital privacy to harmful content, we’ve got expert tips to help you guide your child toward healthy digital habits and create a positive relationship with technology as a family. https://lnkd.in/gA9Nxiec