UNICEF East Asia and Pacific

🌍 For two days, the 2024 Regional Vaccine Procurement Forum (VPF), co-organized by UNICEF East Asia and Pacific and UNICEF Supply, brings together experts from eight East Asia Pacific countries to exchange insights, successes, and lessons learned, help strengthen routine immunization planning and supply chains. Through improved forecasting, planning and budgeting, UNICEF and governments are working to reduce vaccine stockouts, prevent outbreaks, and protect children and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases. #ForEveryChild Learn more about the VPF here 🔗 : https://lnkd.in/dY_2W9Ex

As someone who spends ample time with a mixer, finely pureeing carrots and sweet potatoes for a little one, ready-made purees and pouches can be more than a little tempting. They're not just convenient, they're often tantalizingly packaged, with colorful labels suggesting a wealth of vitamins, iron, fiber, and natural ingredients. But in reality, packaged foods for babies and toddlers in Southeast Asia often contain hidden sugars, sweeteners and salt - as this new BBC News report by Suranjana Tewari shows. Better regulations for these foods are badly needed - as is more support for working parents to provide a variety of nutritious food to their little ones. UNICEF East Asia and Pacific UNICEF Philippines Roland Kupka Mueni Mutunga Chiara Frisone Lely Djuhari Myo-Zin Nyunt Moumiita G Dastidar

Severe Tropical Storm Trami (local name Kristine) has left over 7.1 million people across 17 regions of the #Philippines in critical need. In Regions 5, 2, and 4A, devastating floods and landslides have forced nearly a million people to leave their homes, many seeking refuge in evacuation centers and makeshift camps. UNICEF Philippines is on the ground to support the Government's response, coordinating closely with local authorities and partners to deliver urgent support. Our immediate response includes distributing Water and Hygiene Kits for 3,000 families in Camarines Sur and Albay, bringing essential supplies to those with limited access to clean water and sanitation. We are also working with the Department of Education to deploy Education-in-Emergencies kits, so children in affected areas can return to safe learning spaces. Together, we are helping communities recover and rebuild, ensuring families and children receive the vital support they need to restore their lives.

Meet 12-year-old Kyannalei from Samoa. She wants the Pacific and the world to know that girls have a right to have their voices heard and make decisions that shape their future. More power to you, Kyannalei! 💙 #GirlGoals 📸 MP Studios Samoa

I left the Regional Social Policy Conference in Kuching, Malaysia feeling truly inspired by our united mission to enhance the lives of every child in our region. The experience reinforced the collective power share by the governments, UNICEF, and key partners to drive meaningful change through better social protection. Despite rapid economic growth in our region, significant challenges remain. Geopolitical uncertainties, the climate crisis, and demographic shifts are widening disparities. It’s disheartening that over 100 million vulnerable children face stunting, lack of immunization, and inadequate access to quality education and essential services.  However, securing the resources and political will for comprehensive social protection remains a challenge. Each country is on its own journey, adopting tailored strategies. This conference was a great opportunity to learn from one another’s innovations and success stories. Here are some key reflections from my time in Kuching: - Unpredictable events have highlighted the need for robust systems. We must prioritize sustainability in our planning, particularly during economic downturns.  - The size of our investment directly impacts our returns. Greater investments yield greater returns, driving long-term growth and sustainability for our communities.  - As our region ages, we must increase investments in children’s health, nutrition, education, and livelihood opportunities. Today’s children are tomorrow’s human capital, and they will be supporting ever more dependents in the future.  - Child poverty in East Asia is on the rise for the first time in 30 years, with one-third of children experiencing severe deprivation. Expanding social protection systems to include vulnerable groups has become essential. I have no doubt that the momentum generated in Kuching will extend beyond this conference. Together, let’s strive to give every child in our region the fair chance they need to thrive.  Learn more: https://lnkd.in/guc5Cg5W UNICEF Malaysia Robert Gass Andrea Rossi Natalia Winder Rossi Juanita Vasquez Yin Yee Tham Sanja Saranovic Farqani Mohd Noor Razlan Rashid Rachel Choong

Children’s situations are ever-evolving, and our understanding should be too. Last week, rather than a traditional paper report, we launched the Situation of Children of the Philippines platform—which can be continuously updated as new data and evidence become available. This comprehensive data tool, a joint initiative of UNICEF Philippines, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) - Philippines, the Council for the Welfare of Children, and the Philippine Statistics Authority, makes available insights across 6 dimensions and 25 sub-dimensions of children’s rights. It offers over 80 indicators, 500 data visualizations, and a unique longitudinal study tracking Filipino children over 15 years. With evidence-based analysis, we can make more informed, equitable decisions to advocate for every child in the #Philippines. We were particularly delighted that the launch was attend by two member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Reginal Director June Kunugi, child rights partners and, of course, children themselves. We invite you to explore the platform and provide feedback: situationofchildren.org/ph Incredible colleagues like Xavier Foulquier, Rachel Pagdagdagan, and John Frederick De Guia made this platform possible.

Did you know that in the past, health workers in Indonesia had to manually jot down vaccination details? This caused lots of delays and mistakes in vaccination data. But now, thanks to ASIK, a digital health tool created by the Ministry of Health with the support of UNICEF, things are easier. 💙 With ASIK, health workers can now easily input and store children’s vaccination details, making the process smooth and accurate. This tool not only improves data accuracy but also ensures that health services reach children effectively. Thanks to joint digital solutions like these - developed with the help of governments, private partners, and donors - we're able to bring primary healthcare to more and more children. How else do you think digital solutions can help to boost children’s health? 🤔   👉 Learn more: https://uni.cf/48uzMxp #VaccinesForEveryChild  UNICEF Indonesia

Co-organized by UNICEF and UNICEF NextGen Viet Nam - a community of young business leaders- the 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 today highlighted how responsible business conducts can unlock new opportunities for growth and drive positive social impact. 📊🎯🚀 As businesses navigate recent corporate sustainability reporting standards like the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EUCSDDD) and Environmental – Social – Governance (ESG) disclosure practices, UNICEF introduces child lenses with practical tools into these principles, showcasing how to integrate child rights into business operations. We appreciate the participation of Chambers of Commerce representatives & member companies, and panelists including Daniël Stork - Consul General of The Kingdom of the Netherlands in Vietnam and Delphine ROUSSELET - EuroCham Vietnam Executive Director, and Michel Bertsch - Managing Partner from Geuther Vietnam with the moderation from NextGen Chairperson Hoang Pham. In collaboration with the Vietnam Human Resources Association (VNHR), the 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆-𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 was launched to recognize and celebrate companies that support the holistic well-being of employees and their families, by their family-friendly workplace policies and practices 👨👩👧👦. Silvia Danailov, UNICEF Representative signed an agreement with VNHR President – Le Hong Phuc to implement this initiative.🌱🤝 👉For more on UNICEF’s Child Rights and Business program, visit https://lnkd.in/gpbAwpjt or contact vvo@unicef.org AmCham Vietnam HCMC & Danang BeluxCham Vietnam Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (SCCV) HAWEE HCMC Business Women Association Indian Business Chamber In Vietnam Forbes Vietnam SVBG - Swiss-Vietnamese Business Gateway Australian Chamber of Commerce Vietnam (AusCham) Canadian Chamber of Commerce Vietnam CCI France Vietnam - CCIFV NordCham Vietnam British Chamber of Commerce Vietnam Singapore Chamber of Commerce Vietnam Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry

In Papua New Guinea, only 1 in 2 children born each year receive essential vaccines - leaving about 120,000 children exposed to life-threatening diseases every year.     Routine immunization plays a critical role in the health and survival of children and prevents outbreaks of diseases such as measles and diphtheria.   In Papua New Guinea, initiatives are underway to enhance routine immunization coverage with support from the Government of Australia, the Government of Japan, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.    These contributions have helped:  🔹 Train health workers to improve the quality of immunization services.  🔹 Provide essential cold chain equipment to ensure safe storage and distribution of vaccines.  🔹 Revise and distribute the child health record book, now given free to every newborn and to children who need one during clinic visits.     👉 Learn more: https://uni.cf/3UtAh5g UNICEF Papua New Guinea Japan - The Government of Japan Niels Kraaier, PhD

🎤 Young leaders like Ariff are calling for urgent #ClimateAction 🌱🌍 to tackle the harmful impacts of business and #ClimateChange on #ChildRights . From pollution 🏭 to child labor 🚫, children face serious risks that we must address together 🤝. 📄 🇪🇺 The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive #EUCSDDD can be a powerful tool to place their rights at the center of business conducts, decisions and actions.     To champion sustainable corporate practices, we must:     ✅ Incorporate #ChildRights into sustainability #DueDiligence processes.   ✅Address root causes to establish a fair and sustainable global economic system.   ✅Facilitate children’s access to justice.   ✅Consider children’s views as part of companies’ sustainability due diligence.     By working together, we can ensure that the voices of children are heard and their rights are respected in every business decision and action.     #Sustainability #CorporateResponsibility #EUCSDDD #BizHumanRights   #YouthVoices #EnvironmentalJustice #FutureGenerations #SocialImpact UNICEF East Asia and Pacific 'Ariff Amir Ali Ida Margarita Hyllested, Maria Pia Bianchetti Lidija Gamulin, Ana Tkalec Barić, Axel Voss, Greta Koch, Lara Wolters, Matthew Hogarth, Saskia Bricmont, European Commission, European External Action Service