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A one-year-old child prepares to receive his Yellow Fever vaccination in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Global Health

Every child deserves a healthy start in life. Thanks to people like you, Save the Children continues to be at the forefront of global efforts to end preventable child deaths, with a focus on maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition, alleviating hunger, and preventing and treating HIV and AIDS. Our latest annual report shows, we reached 33.7 million children through our health and nutrition programs.

Every day, children are benefitting from high-impact health programs that save lives. LEARN MORE

Latest News:

  • Save the Children’s USAID Kulawa project in Niger donates $326,956 in medical equipment and supplies to help ensure quality health services for women and children. LEARN MORE
  • Save the Children Excited to Partner with University of California San Diego on U.S. Agency for International Development-funded Social & Behavior Change Research Project. LEARN MORE
  • Save the Children Becomes Newest Member of Millennium Water Alliance. LEARN MORE
GLOBAL HEALTH NEWS ARCHIVE

Learn About Our Global Health Programs

Save the Children is working hard in Bolivia to help kids stay healthy and stay in school through sponsorship programs at local elementary schools and early education centers. Photo Credit: Susan Warner/Save the Children 2015.
Adolescent Health
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Focusing on social and gender norms, we work with adolescents, families, communities, and health systems to promote gender equality, and prevent early pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI).
The heartbeat of an infant being recorded at the Dowa hospital in Malawi. Photo Credit: Lawrence Chen/Save the Children 2012.
Child Health
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Our child health programs help save thousands of lives every year. Our work has helped helped decrease the number of children dying before age 5 by over half since 1990, saving 122 million children.
Iman holds her sick daughter. Samir and his sister, Iman are living in Idomeni with their spouses and 12 children, including two babies. The families left Syria more than a month ago and want to go to Germany or any country in northern Europe. Their houses were destroyed by the bombs and their children could not go to school because they were destroyed too. Iman's* baby girl is sick and doesn’t´ stop crying. They went to the doctor’s tent, but her health hasn’t improved. Photo Credit Pedro Armestre 2015
Health in Emergencies
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In times of crisis, Save the Children is on the ground in over 100 countries rapidly delivering effective health care, saving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children.
Save the Children provides practical and emotional support to vulnerable children in South Africa orphaned through parents with HIV/AIDS.
HIV and AIDS
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Save the Children works with communities to combat the spread of HIV and ensure that children affected by AIDS get the education, emotional support and care they need to thrive.
Mothers whose babies were born prematurely and who successfully went through Kangaroo Mother Care at the Mtwara District Hospital in Tanzania. Photo Credit: Jordi Matas/Save the Children 2013.
Maternal and Reproductive Health
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Save the Children employs family planning and maternal health services to improve maternal, newborn and children’s health and survival in the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Tanzania has one of the highest rates of first day deaths in the world, and grieving mothers are told that mourning leads to infertility. 1 mother in every 30 in Tanzania will die during pregnancy or birth. Photo Credit Sala Lewis/Save the Children 2017.A community health worker makes a home visit to a seven-day-old newborn in Mali. The mother and baby are doing well. Only 44% of births in Mali have skilled workers present. Photo credit: Save the Children, November 2012.
Newborn Health
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Nearly 80% of newborn deaths are easily preventable. Save the Children trains and equips frontline health workers and uses basic, low-cost care to save newborn lives.
Photo credit: Save the Children, March 2018.
Nutrition for Children and Mothers
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We work in many of the world’s poorest places, in the U.S. and abroad, to alleviate child hunger and prevent malnutrition — helping create healthy, productive children and communities.
Save the Children began implementing a similar its health education program in the city of El Alto, Bolivia, in 2008. With solar disinfection (SODIS), schools and families can provide safe water for drinking and washing. Using clear bottles, sunlight and a little time, the CDC reports that diarrheal diseases can be reduced by as much as 86%. Photo Credit: Susan Warner/Save the Children 2015.
School Health and Nutrition
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Our global School Health and Nutrition programs improve health and nutrition at schools, provide access to safe water and promote lifelong health behaviors.
Non-Emergency Food Security in Nebaj, Guatemala. Photo Credit: Jordan J. Hay 2015
Food Security and Livelihoods
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Save the Children’s Food Security and Livelihoods programs help vulnerable families and communities to improve their long-term food security and increase their resilience during crises.

Global Health Work Saves Lives

Nearly 5.6 million children die each year due to preventable and treatable causes, including 1 million babies who die on the day they are born. What's more, child malnutrition often leads to a lifetime of poor health and even death. More than 150 million children in developing countries are stunted. That's why we are committed to providing effective health programs that save children's lives and ensure they grow up healthy.

Thanks to generous donors like you, Save the Children is able to improve maternal, newborn and child health, help end child malnutrition and hunger and prevent HIV transmission, and ensure treatment for those living with HIV before they develop (or to prevent) AIDS — giving 86 million children a healthy start in life and we reached an estimated 28.1 million children and women to support increased vaccination coverage, provide skilled birth attendance and increase the use of modern contraceptive methods. 

How Our Global Health Work Saves Lives:

  • Targeting the major causes of maternal, newborn and child deaths
  • Providing high-impact, low-cost care that saves children's lives
  • Prioritizing community partnerships, facilitating linkages with primary healthcare providers
  • Training and equipping frontline health workers to provide basic and lifesaving care
  • Responding rapidly during emergencies – when children are most vulnerable
  • Pursuing catalytic partnerships to develop and test innovative solutions