UNICEF East Asia and Pacific

Good nutrition is one of the smartest investments in a child’s future, and in Calamba City, that idea is coming to life. Expecting mothers are getting the antenatal care and nutrition support they need for healthier pregnancies, while the community works together to ensure every child grows strong. The community has rallied around a shared commitment: preventing malnutrition is everyone’s responsibility. From promoting breastfeeding as the best first food to implementing PhilHealth’s Severe Acute Malnutrition Benefit Package for children who need urgent treatment, Calamba is showing that early, coordinated action works. The Department of Health, UNICEF, Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), and the Child Nutrition Fund are working together to ensure families can access quality nutrition care when and where they need it.    Because good nutrition doesn't start at the dinner table. It starts much, much earlier.    #NutritionMatters #ForEveryChild  Roland Kupka UNICEF Philippines Rene Gerard Galera, Jr Mueni Mutunga Alison Feeley PhD RNutr Sanele Nkomani Myo-Zin Nyunt Alice Nkoroi

Across East Asia and the Pacific, 4 million children are fighting a battle most of the world doesn't see—against wasting, a severe form of malnutrition that leaves young bodies dangerously thin.    When 18-month-old Deomancio's mother left their village in Vemasse, Baucau Municipality, to find work in the capital, his grandfather stepped in to care for him. Within weeks, the toddler fell seriously ill. His tiny arms grew thinner, his energy faded, classic signs of severe malnutrition.    Through treatment at Baucau Hospital and ongoing support from Mother Support Group (MSG) members, his arm circumference grew from 11cm to 13cm, and his weight increased from 7kg to 9kg over six months. MSG puts solutions to child nutrition in the hands of communities themselves. Supported by UNICEF and the UK Government, more than 1,000 MSG volunteers across Baucau and Viqueque municipalities have been trained to screen children, counsel caregivers, promote healthy practices, and connect families to healthcare services when needed. In September, H.E. Dominic Jermey, British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, visited Baucau Municipality to see the programme in action. He met with mothers, children, health staff, and MSG volunteers who are delivering these services at the village level. As malnutrition rates climb in neighboring countries, Timor-Leste offers a blueprint: invest in communities, empower local voices, and the change can be profound. With continued support from partners like the UK Government, this community-centered model can scale, giving more children across the region a real chance to thrive.    Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office UNICEF Timor-Leste Rene Gerard Galera, Jr Alison Taylor Myo-Zin Nyunt June Kunugi

Access to healthcare shouldn't depend on geography or income. Yet for too many families, that's the reality. In the Philippines, nearly 600,000 children face severe wasting annually—a life-threatening condition that leaves children dangerously underweight and vulnerable to infection. This year, the Philippines became the first country in the world to fully cover outpatient treatment for severe acute malnutrition through its national health insurance program. The policy covers everything: medical care, nutrition counselling, and therapeutic food. All at no cost to families. The impact? An estimated 100,000 children will receive life-saving treatment each year, regardless of where they live or what they can afford. Developed by PhilHealth in partnership with UNICEF, the UK Government, and national stakeholders, this initiative demonstrates what's possible when policy innovation meets collaborative action. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office UNICEF Philippines Rene Gerard Galera, Jr Mueni Mutunga Alison Feeley PhD RNutr Sanele Nkomani Sibylle Newman Moumiita G Dastidar Myo-Zin Nyunt

Every child deserves care and every caregiver deserves support. Care is everything we do to nurture, protect, and support children: from feeding and teaching them to ensuring parents and caregivers have the time, services, and resources to do so. It’s the foundation of strong, inclusive societies and successful businesses. Family-friendly workplaces that prioritize care:  ✅ Improve employee retention and productivity  ✅ Advance gender equality  ✅ Promote disability inclusion  ✅ Build stronger, more resilient teams and communities Because when we make care visible, inclusive, valued, and shared, everyone thrives — children, communities and businesses alike. #InternationalDayOfCare Shreyasi Jha Rachel Harvey Karla Parra Correa Romain Sibille Jessica Owens Ana María Rodríguez Moumiita G Dastidar Myo-Zin Nyunt June Kunugi

Across East Asia and the Pacific, 4 million children are affected by wasting — the most life-threatening form of malnutrition. As Global Action Plan for Child Wasting frontrunner countries, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste are turning their national commitments into real change for children in their communities. UNICEF is working with governments, the private sector, and communities to strengthen local solutions that save lives. We’re training community health volunteers to detect early signs of malnutrition and helping parents use MUAC (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference) tapes to monitor their children’s growth.    Village-based health support groups in Indonesia, Cambodia, and Papua New Guinea show how communities across the East Asia Pacific region are helping families nourish, protect, and care for their children before malnutrition strikes. These practical, scalable solutions are transforming child health — one family, one community at a time. But millions more still need support. By partnering with UNICEF, your company can help ensure that no child’s life is lost to wasting and build healthier, more resilient communities across the region. Rene Gerard Galera, Jr Alison Feeley PhD RNutr Mueni Mutunga Sanele Nkomani Sibylle Newman Myo-Zin Nyunt June Kunugi UNICEF Papua New Guinea UNICEF Cambodia UNICEF Indonesia UNICEF Philippines UNICEF Timor-Leste UNICEF Supply UNICEF

Every child deserves a chance to thrive, but millions are still held back by stunting, wasting, and anaemia. The Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) is a completely new way to fight child undernutrition. Unlike reactive funding models, CNF works proactively, coordinating global investments to ensure high-impact nutrition actions are fully funded, efficiently delivered, and sustainable. By combining international donor contributions with domestic investments, CNF doubles the impact of every dollar, empowers local manufacturers, and makes life-saving nutrition reach children and women faster and at lower cost. From September 2025, CNF will match contributions up to US$500 million, doubling the impact for children and women—helping transform lives for up to US$1 billion.    Led by UNICEF and supported by visionary partners—including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Gates Foundation, and Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)—unites donors, governments, and strategic partners to reach millions of children and women with life-changing nutrition. Rene Gerard Galera, Jr Alison Feeley PhD RNutr Roland Kupka Mueni Mutunga Sanele Nkomani Moumiita G Dastidar Mera Boulus Grozier Juan Ignacio Calvo Ian Lacey Myo-Zin Nyunt Ann Putnam Marks Corina Câmpian, M.Sc.

When you meet a child suffering from wasting, you never forget it. Wasting is the most life-threatening form of malnutrition—it weakens children so severely that even a common cold can turn fatal. Globally, one million children die from it each year. In East Asia and the Pacific alone, 4 million children are affected, with 1 million facing severe wasting.    The numbers tell part of the story. Children with severe wasting are 11 times more likely to die than their well-nourished peers. But behind those statistics are families facing impossible choices, communities losing their future, and a crisis that remains largely invisible to the world.    The good news? Wasting is preventable and curable. With better nutrition for mothers, exclusive breastfeeding, nutritious first foods, and skilled health care, we can stop it before it starts. UNICEF and partners are helping countries integrate prevention and treatment into primary health care — so every child has the chance to grow, play, and thrive.  Rene Gerard Galera, Jr Alison Feeley PhD RNutr Eliane Luthi Roland Kupka Moumiita G Dastidar Mueni Mutunga Sanele Nkomani Sibylle Newman

Disease knows no borders—but together, we can stop it. In Papua New Guinea’s 9 Mile settlement, clean water and reliable electricity are scarce, making access to healthcare a challenge. UNICEF is bringing polio vaccinations to children’s doorsteps, working hand-in-hand with Ministry of Health, the health workers and local leaders. Basil Rodriques, Regional Adviser Child Survival & Development at UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific, reminds us: vaccination coverage must not only continue but grow. Strong partnerships and resources are key. With collective effort, every child in Papua New Guinea can be protected against polio and other preventable diseases. #EndPolio #WorldPolioDay Salwa Al-eryani Ridwan Gustiana Nattha T. UNICEF Papua New Guinea Veera Mendonca Myo-Zin Nyunt

Floods in Rantau Panjang, Malaysia, affect over 70,000 people annually—nearly 40% of them children. Salidah Ramli’s family has faced rising waters, crowded shelters without electricity or clean water, and disrupted schooling. 🌊 Salidah remembers clutching her children tightly, terrified they might be swept away. “The floods rise so suddenly,” she says. “Even when they subside, they come back again.” Her eldest, Haris, has taken matters into his own hands—raising his school books to higher shelves every time the flood comes. For him, protecting his education is as instinctive as seeking safety. Across Southeast Asia, climate change is displacing families, and children bear the heaviest burden. Stories like Salidah and Haris’s remind us why climate-resilient infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and child-focused interventions are urgently needed. UNICEF Malaysia