UNICEF — UN agency addressing child health, malnutrition, sanitation standards, and adolescent healthcare services across West Africa and Somalia.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
… The East African country has seen a 32 percent jump in the number of children admitted to facilities with severe acute malnutrition and complications in the first six months of 2026, UNICEF said on Friday. …
Somalia child hunger crisis deepens after aid cuts, UNICEF saysJoy Online
About 19 in every 20 health care facilities in Nigeria fall short of the basic standard for managing medical waste, according to a new WHO/UNICEF assessment. …
19 in 20 Nigerian health facilities fall short of basic medical waste standardJoy Online
… But across parts of West Africa, many health facilities still fall short of these basic standards, according to a new assessment by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. …
Only 16% of Ghana health facilities meet basic sanitation standard — WHO / UNICEFJoy Online
… Mr Iddrisu made the statement at the Ghana and Regional Foundational Learning Evidence and Implementation Support Day in Accra, organised in collaboration with the World Bank, UNICEF and the Jacobs Foundation. …
Government prioritises foundational learning to improve education outcomesJoy Online
… For example, UNICEF reported helping Ghana scale up integrated social services from 170 to 180 districts in 2024, alongside training for more than 100 district personnel and 150 probation officers. …
Ghana’s NGOs should strengthen local government, not replace itJoy Online
… f soul singer James Brown, who he called the “hardest working man in showbusiness”. “She’s not only an incredible performer – she doesn’t pop on the mic like I do – songwriter and musician, but also an incredibly kind and giving person and a real deal activist.” Kidjo is a Unicef …
Angélique Kidjo makes history for Africa with star on Hollywood Walk of FameJoy Online
… According to a 2025 International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF report, nearly 138 million children were engaged in child labour in 2024. …
Child labour-free zones emerge as Ghana’s new weapon against child labourJoy Online
… UNICEF reports that an estimated 119 million girls are out of school globally, including 34 million of primary school age and 86 million of secondary school age. …
GNECC calls for stronger tracking of education funds for girls, children with disabilitiesJoy Online
… Key partners include WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, Health Facilities Regulator Agency (HEFRA), FDA, UGBS, UG, KATH, MOH, adb, Microsoft, Melcom, AU, EBID, and Africa CDC.
Health Ministry develops AI policy to guide safe use of artificial intelligence in Ghana’s healthcare systemJoy Online
… The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF recommend that breastfeeding begin within the first hour after birth, that infants receive only breast milk for the first six months, and that breastfeeding continue alongside appropriate complementary foods until two years of age or …
Supporting breastfeeding starts with the family: why fathers matterUNICEF says severe acute malnutrition admissions in Somalia jumped 32 percent in the first six months of 2026 as more than 200 health and nutrition facilities closed due to international aid cuts, with nearly 1.9 million children projected to be malnourished this year.
17 hours ago · Joy Online →
UNICEF says severe acute malnutrition admissions in Somalia jumped 32 percent in the first six months of 2026 as more than 200 health and nutrition facilities closed due to international aid cuts, with nearly 1.9 million children projected to be malnourished this year.
17 hours ago · Joy Online →
A WHO/UNICEF assessment found that only 5% of Nigerian health care facilities met the basic standard for managing medical waste in 2025, with 76% having limited services and 20% having no waste-management service. The finding raises concerns over how used needles, infectious materials and other waste generated during medical care are handled.
21 August 2026 · Joy Online →
According to a WHO and UNICEF assessment, only 16% of Ghana's health facilities meet basic sanitation standards—which require improved and usable toilets, separate facilities for men and women with menstrual hygiene provision, and access for people with limited mobility. The gaps in sanitation across West Africa are particularly stark, with Guinea-Bissau at 7%, Burkina Faso at 11%, and Mali at 12%.
21 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu said the government is prioritizing foundational learning in literacy and numeracy to improve education outcomes, noting that increased school access has not translated into improved learning. He emphasized that educational progress should be measured by whether children are acquiring expected competencies, not only by enrollment and infrastructure metrics.
21 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's NGOs should focus on building the capacity of local government institutions (MMDAs) rather than replacing them with project-based services that disappear when funding ends. This approach protects democratic accountability and ensures sustainable service delivery.
20 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Five-time Grammy award winner Angélique Kidjo from Benin has become the first African musician to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honoring her four-decade career blending African sounds with funk, jazz and pop for global audiences.
19 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana has launched Child Labour Free Zone initiatives and an Accelerated Action Plan Against Child Labour to combat child labour, particularly in agriculture and cocoa production. In 2022, approximately 21% of children aged 5–17 in Ghana were involved in child labour, with over 1.2 million engaged in hazardous work.
19 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition has organized District Accountability Dialogues in two Ahafo Region districts to promote transparent and equitable education financing for girls and children with disabilities, bringing together local stakeholders to inspect fund allocation and advocate for stronger tracking of education money.
14 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ministry of Health is developing a comprehensive National AI Health Policy and Guidelines to provide a legal, ethical and operational framework for safe and equitable adoption of AI across Ghana's healthcare system. The policy aims to strengthen governance, data protection, digital infrastructure, workforce readiness and regulatory oversight to ensure AI supports improved healthcare delivery while safeguarding patient rights.
6 August 2026 · Joy Online →
A pastor shares how he supported his wife's recovery and breastfeeding by helping with nighttime baby care and expressed milk feeding. Experts note that while fathers cannot breastfeed directly, their role in household responsibilities and childcare enables mothers to breastfeed successfully and recover from childbirth.
4 August 2026 · Joy Online →
A new proposal would have Hamas hand over its weapons as Israel withdraws from 70% of Gaza it occupies, though the plan faces significant political and practical challenges. The arrangement comes amid catastrophic conditions for over 2 million Palestinian civilians and after tens of thousands of deaths during the war.
31 July 2026 · Joy Online →
About 100 health service providers have been trained to deliver adolescent-friendly maternal and child healthcare services following the expansion of the Safety Net Intervention to 44 additional health facilities in the Central Region. The intervention, a partnership between the Ghana Health Service and UNICEF, is now being implemented in 16 districts across 176 facilities in the region.
31 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has reopened a national debate on whether Ghana should reconsider abolishing corporal punishment in schools, citing growing indiscipline in senior high schools. Mr. Iddrisu raised the issue at a national conference on school discipline in Sunyani, saying he, President John Mahama, and the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service are seeking answers to the question.
29 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana Education Service has warned that gang-related violence and serious indiscipline previously seen mainly in tertiary institutions are increasingly affecting senior high schools, with incidents at institutions like Accra High School and West Africa SHS. The GES Director-General attributed the problem partly to weak implementation of positive discipline policies adopted after corporal punishment was abandoned in 2017, and cited social media and changing societal values as contributing factors.
29 July 2026 · Joy Online →
A panel of Ghanaian filmmakers, producers, and directors has been assembled to judge the 2026 Blackstar International Film Festival. The jury includes Ivan Quashigah (chairman), William Kojo Agbeti, Anny Araba Sedufia, and others, bringing decades of experience across African cinema.
22 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana is hosting an African Union Extraordinary Summit on Health on July 21–22, 2026, focused on ending AIDS and tuberculosis by 2030, reducing maternal deaths, and addressing communicable and non-communicable diseases across the continent. The United Nations supports the initiative and frames health as foundational to sustainable development and social justice.
22 July 2026 · Daily Guide →
Ghana is finalising its first standard treatment guidelines for managing lead exposure and poisoning to strengthen diagnosis, treatment, and health system preparedness. The guidelines will specify required tests, treatment options at different care levels, and equipment and facilities needed across the health system.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana is finalising its first standard treatment guidelines for managing lead exposure and poisoning to strengthen diagnosis, treatment, and health system preparedness. The guidelines will specify required tests, treatment options by level of care, and equipment and facilities needed across the health system.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal will meet on the pitch for the first time when Argentina play Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, though the two crossed paths in 2007 when Messi was a 20-year-old Barcelona starter and Yamal was just five months old — a meeting documented in photographs that resurfaced after Yamal helped Spain win Euro 2024.
17 July 2026 · The Chronicle →
Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, who will face each other in Sunday's World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, first met in 2007 when Messi held a five-month-old Yamal in a photograph taken at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium after his family won a competition to visit the away dressing room.
17 July 2026 · The Chronicle →
Ghana's Environmental Protection Authority has warned that one in every two children could be vulnerable to brain damage and reduced intelligence from lead exposure, following a study that detected lead in commonly used children's toys. The EPA called for regulators, manufacturers, importers and consumers to work together to ensure products meet safety standards.
16 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), in collaboration with UNICEF, held a validation meeting on the draft Results Framework for Ghana's "Resetting Ghana Agenda" policy framework (2026–2029), bringing together representatives from Ministries, Departments and Agencies, development partners, academia and planning professionals to review indicators, baselines and targets for assessing development performance.
14 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Scientists say pollution from informal e-waste recycling at Agbogbloshie is contaminating both human breast milk and livestock milk in surrounding communities, with research from the University of Ghana and UNICEF findings showing that heavy metals and hazardous pollutants released during open burning accumulate in the environment and enter the food chain consumed by mothers, infants and residents.
14 July 2026 · Joy Online →
A new report launched by Ghana's Ministry of Education reveals that about 20% of districts experience severe teacher shortages, with rural schools hit hardest despite near-universal school enrolment rates. The staffing gaps are undermining learning outcomes, with 45.27% of learners performing below basic proficiency in Mathematics and 50.33% in English in the 2024 National Standardised Test.
14 July 2026 · Joy Online →
UNICEF reported that the conflict between Sudan's military and the Rapid Support Forces has killed or wounded at least 330 children in the first six months of 2024, with drone strikes accounting for 60 per cent of casualties. Hostilities continue to intensify in Kordofan, Darfur, and Blue Nile regions, with attacks on schools, markets, and water and fuel stations displacing over 500,000 residents.
7 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Stakeholders at Ghana's National Justice Conference called for sustainable financing of child protection systems, warning that inadequate funding could undermine efforts to combat child labour exploitation and trafficking. The conference, held in Accra, brought together government officials, lawmakers, civil society organisations, faith leaders, survivors and development partners to discuss strengthening long-term interventions for vulnerable children.
7 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Recent floods in Ghana killed at least 12 people, left 7 missing, and affected 7,761 households. An opinion piece argues that the disaster—which disrupts education, displaces families, and leaves psychological wounds—represents a Women, Peace and Security issue extending far beyond the visible physical damage.
2 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ghana Education Service has trained the fourth cohort of district teacher support teams on early childhood education under its Harmonised Scale Programme, which aims to improve kindergarten quality through play-based, child-centered teaching. The initiative includes plans to retrain more than 32,000 kindergarten teachers and end the practice of assigning pregnant, unwell, or disciplined teachers to kindergarten classrooms.
2 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Nigeria's Minister of Education launched the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System to collect real-time data on schools, teachers, enrolment, and infrastructure; about 90 per cent of public school data has been captured, but private school participation stands at around 50 per cent.
2 July 2026 · The Chronicle →
Exclusive Events Ghana has unveiled a panel of judges for the 69th Miss Ghana auditions, scheduled for Saturday, June 27, 2026, at the Oak Plaza Hotel in Accra. The competition runs under the theme "Empowering Women, Enduring Legacy" and seeks young women with intelligence, confidence, leadership qualities, and purpose-driven vision.
26 June 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →