health

At least five children with cholera in South Sudan have died on an arduous journey to seek medical treatment, after aid cuts forced their local health services to close in the middle of a major outbreak of the deadly disease, Save the Children said.

Children in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya will benefit from new paediatric medical equipment as a result of a child-lens investment by Save the Children Global Ventures (SCGV).

A rare tropical disease that is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide was halved in one of the world’s worst-affected communities due to foreign aid but is now at risk of resurgence following aid cuts, as is another tropical eye disease, Save the Children said.

Marenet*, 57, is a mother of six who has suffered from ureterovaginal prolapse (UVP) for over twelve years, a condition that began during the delivery of her last child. Marenet’s family are subsistence farmers living in a remote village in the Tigray region, an area significantly impacted by a conflict that lasted for more than three years. This conflict caused extensive devastation to the region’s health infrastructure and overall health services. The impact of the war is still visible, and recovery will require a long time.To address these problems, Save the Children launched the surge team strategy with financial assistance from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. By deploying highly skilled medical and surgical teams to remote and inaccessible facilities, local people were able to receive life-saving services. These services targeted individuals with low incomes who could not afford health care and other related expenses. Consequently, the community benefited from free health treatments.Marenet’s story highlights the transformative impact of the medical care she received, giving her hope and a renewed sense of vitality.

The situation was terrifying. My daughter was so small, and she was very weak. Watery stool after watery stool, and she couldn't keep anything down. She wouldn't even take breast milk. Her eyes looked sunken, and she just lay there so weak. I was so scared I was going to lose her.

The mpox epidemic in the DRC is unfolding in a country already plagued by conflict, hunger and disease. Children are nearly four times more likely to die from mpox than adults, making them particularly vulnerable to this outbreak. Read the blog to learn more about the situation, our response, and how you can help.

In northern Gaza, an already starving population has been cut off from food, with no confirmed deliveries since 1st of October. They live in fear of attack and fear that if they try to leave, they still won’t find safety or be allowed to return. Here we outline the devastating and horrific situation for children and their families in northern Gaza right now.

Thousands of children in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique are at risk of deadly disease as the 2024 cyclone season threatens to bring more floods.

Save the Children press release on cholera in Zambia schools closed

Save the Children is calling for urgent medical evacuations of children from Gaza