Health and Nutrition

When 16-year-old Lily’s house was flooded in the early hours of the morning, she fled with her family to a nearby school, which was converted into an evacuation centre. Many of the family’s possessions were washed away and the walls of one of their buildings were knocked down. Many crops and seeds were lost from the family farm, making it difficult for the family to find food in the flood’s aftermath.While she was at the evacuation centre, Lily joined Save the Children’s Child Friendly Space and received training in handwashing and water treatment from the Emergency Health Unit. Lily is passionate about teaching her sister and other children in her community how to wash their hands to prevent infectious disease such as cholera.

As climate risks continue to intensify, early action is key to protecting community health. Community-based approaches are opening up more sustainable solutions – especially for children and vulnerable groups.

Free, quality maternal healthcare in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Sifa and Ange’s experience

The first shipment of vaccines to South Kordofan state in nearly three years will restore lifesaving immunisation services to children and communities cut off from essential supplies due to conflict and siege.

Children in Gaza have entered 2026 facing ongoing storms and flooding that have ripped tents and left them exposed to water-borne diseases with an urgent need for supplies to rebuild shelters, Save the Children said.

In a vital initiative aimed at ensuring no child dies from preventable causes, Save the Children, with financing from UNICEF, is implementing the MAMI project in Mozambique to support infants under six months at nutritional risk. By combining specialized healthcare with strategic cash transfers, this initiative addresses the root causes of malnutrition, empowering vulnerable mothers to provide life-saving care and nutrition for their babies. Through this integrated approach, we are protecting the most fragile lives and building a foundation for a future where every child can survive and thrive.

The MAMI approach addresses gaps in child nutrition services, managing malnutrition risks in children under 6 months and their mothers, and integrating into health systems. Community nutritional screening was conducted to identify and treat acute malnutrition. Additionally, safeguarding sessions were held with the community, where participants demonstrated understanding of protection against exploitation and abuse, and the importance of treating everyone with dignity. Save the Children's complaint mechanisms were also explained, including safe and confidential channels for reporting incidents, with priority given to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases.

Children in Gaza are sleeping on the bare ground with no shelter, in flimsy shorts and t-shirts that are sodden with sewage water after their tents flooded in a weekend of heavy rains, putting them at risk of disease, Save the Children said

From 1 to 7 August, World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated, this year under the theme “Prioritising Breastfeeding: Creating Sustainable Support Systems”. The week highlights the importance of building solid support networks that allow mothers to breastfeed safely and consistently, establishing a firm foundation for children's health and development.

More than four in 10 (43%) pregnant and breastfeeding women seeking treatment at Save the Children’s clinics in Gaza in July were malnourished, said Save the Children.