UNICEF Europe & Central Asia

Vaccination is the most powerful way to protect children from deadly diseases, but measles vaccination rates have declined in Europe and Central Asia. More than 127,350 measles cases were reported across Europe and Central Asia in 2024 - the highest number of cases seen in our Region since 1997. More than 40 per cent of cases were among children under five. Some 60 per cent of people who contracted measles were hospitalized – a sign of the severity of this highly-contagious yet vaccine-preventable disease. We urgently need governments to invest in community health care systems that provide the best defence we have against deadly disease – immunization. https://lnkd.in/e2Sfm5CT

“I used to hear that you needed to get vaccinated, but I had no idea that refusing vaccination could lead to terrible consequences and to horrible diseases,” says Nasiba Nachitova, a kindergarten teacher in Batken city, Kyrgyzstan. Today, she is among the trusted voices helping families understand the life-saving power of vaccines. Together, teachers and imams reached nearly 80,000 people with information on the importance of immunization: https://lnkd.in/eUn2Thbw

She goes door to door on horseback to vaccinate children. Meet Jiydegul from Kyrgyzstan, who has been a lifeline in her community for the last 37 years, reaching out to families with life-saving vaccines. Her incredible work has helped protect children from deadly diseases for nearly four decades. Drop a heart 💙 to show your support for community health workers like Jiydegul and their incredible role in keeping children healthy and free from vaccine-preventable diseases.

From more choice over who they marry, to better education, learn how life for girls in Tajikistan has changed from previous generations, in 15-year-old Anora's second #IWD interview series with her aunties and sister.

"Go back to your kitchen," "don't speak," "girls aren't that good at chess". In Corfu, Greece, 16-year-old Katerina says this is what she hears in her daily life. As a chess champion, she challenges gender stereotypes everyday. For #IWD read her hopes for a future where girls have equal rights: https://lnkd.in/dQss-kRK

For 37 years, community health worker Jiydegul has been a lifeline connecting remote communities to lifesaving vaccines in Kyrgyzstan. Jiydegul shares how she goes door to door on horseback to vaccinate children, protecting them from deadly diseases. Learn more about the power of community health workers: https://lnkd.in/dA6HxfVH

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world, and with a backsliding in immunization coverage across Europe and Central Asia, cases have soared. Here's what you need to know about measles, how it spreads and how we can stay protected: https://lnkd.in/dWrCU2Q3

A backsliding in immunization coverage in recent years has contributed to the highest number of measles cases reported in Europe and Central Asia since 1997. Together with WHO Regional Office for Europe, we are working alongside governments and partners to urgently prevent and respond to outbreaks. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dG2saAcM

For #IWD, UNICEF Ukraine spoke to Nadiya, her mum and her grandma about life for girls in Ukraine and how things have changed. Despite their their generational differences, all three share one common hope for the future: "We all dream of peace". Learn more: https://lnkd.in/d6rkekVH

Climate anxiety? We hear you. Check out these mental health experts’ advice on how you can help your child cope with worries about climate change: https://lnkd.in/dhdGCW5d.