the four roles of UNICEF to solve social problems
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UNICEF's role
UNICEF began its mission in 1946 as a relief organization for children after World War II. Its mandate soon expanded to helping children whose lives were at risk in developing countries. Almost 60 years later, UNICEF is more than 7,000 people in 157 countries and territories around the world. Nine of 10 staff members work closely with national and local governments and other partners around the world.
Throughout, UNICEF’s priorities have been realizing the intrinsic rights of children to a basic quality of life, rights world leaders further defined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF bases its actions on up-to-date substantial research and experience on what works to help give children the best start in life, to survive and thrive -- especially in emergencies -- and to go to school.
This work correlates closely with the Millennium Development Goals set by United Nations States in 2000 – and is central to meeting them. Of the 48 indicators of progress toward the Goals, UNICEF is chiefly responsible for progress in 13.
UNICEF’s Priorities are Essential for Development
UNICEF’s work can be grouped into five main strategic areas. They are all interrelated; progress in any one leads to progress in the others.
Together, they make a difference for children by supporting implementation of the Millennium Summit Declaration and the world’s work toward the Goals.
They also ensure that UNICEF contributes effectively to reducing poverty, through advocacy and partnerships that create sustained investments in children’s survival, development and protection.
These strategic areas are:
Young Child Survival and Development: In support of Millennium Goal 4 – reducing child mortality – and Goal 6, malaria control, among others, UNICEF works toward comprehensive child health care in the earliest years, including the antenatal period before birth.
Toward helping young children survive and have a healthy, productive future, UNICEF advocates for and gives financial and technical support to national- and community-based education and intervention programmes on health care and nutrition. Priority areas include immunization, preventing and controlling malaria, controlling and treating diarrhoeal and respiratory diseases, eradicating guinea worm and preventing anaemia.
Health programmes ideally include antenatal care of pregnant women, and neonatal care in the first four weeks after birth, including promoting breastfeeding. UNICEF also shares advocacy, social mobilization, and research work in a supporting role to help other agencies provide emergency obstetrics.
Building upon a decades-long commitment on health, UNICEF provides vaccines to 40 per cent of children in developing countries, and provides technical support on the complicated process of delivering them. Millions are protected from diseases like measles, polio, diphtheria and tuberculosis with vaccines that cost an average of only 50 cents per child. Vaccination programs ideally include supplements of vitamin A and micronutrients that further boost immunity and help prevent malnutrition-related disorders.
UNICEF is also often first on the ground in declared emergencies to deliver these and other life-saving interventions, like fresh water and basic medical supplies.
Along with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF supports local programmes that improve access to basic water and sanitation, which are in turn vital for health, development and education initiatives.
Basic Education and Gender Equality: In support of MDG 2 and 3, UNICEF collaborates with countries, donor governments and other UN agencies to promote, fund and facilitate universal primary education and gender equality.
This includes improving children’s developmental readiness for school, especially for excluded children and among disadvantaged groups, via community-sponsored childhood education and health initiatives.
In all stages of this process, through advocacy and local programmes, UNICEF works to reduce the gender gap and other disparities in access to, participation in and completion of basic schooling. This includes` supporting water, sanitation and hygiene improvement in schools to create a child-friendly environment for learning.
Using practical demonstrations and evidence-based advocacy, UNICEF seeks to help national and local governments and groups improve educational quality and retention.