UNICEF Pacific

For every child, early moments matter 💙 The first years of life shape a child’s health, learning, and future opportunities. With love, nutrition, healthcare, protection, and playful interactions, young children build the strong foundations they need to thrive. Investing early isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s one of the smartest social and economic choices a country can make. At the recent Validation Workshop on the Cost of Inaction in Early Childhood Development, UNICEF Pacific and Fiji’s Ministry of Health & Medical Services reviewed preliminary findings showing that delaying investment comes at a far greater cost than giving children a strong start. Full results coming in 2026 will help guide smarter investments and strengthen Fiji’s National ECD Policy 2024–2028.

Over half of children in Oceania live with a mother who has faced physical, emotional or sexual abuse by a partner in the past year.   Studies show that violence not only harms the health and well-being of women, but also significantly impacts their children’s sense of safety, health, and learning.   Children growing up in households where women are experiencing violence are also significantly more likely to be subjected to physical or psychological aggression themselves. Such exposure heightens their risk of carrying violence into adulthood, either as victims or perpetrators.   UNICEF calls on governments and partners to invest in proven solutions to end violence against women and children.   Every child deserves a safe home. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gR8N-TMG

UNICEF Pacific is pleased to welcome Hamish Young as our new Representative covering 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).   With more than 30 years of service to UNICEF, Mr. Young brings extensive humanitarian experience from roles across Asia, Africa, the Pacific and the Middle East.   We are excited to have him join our shared mission to advance the rights and well-being of every child in the Pacific.

Violence steals children’s joy, wellbeing, and futures.   This #16Days of Activism, and every day, join the Young Pasifika Wayfinders in calling for an end to violence.   Every space, online and offline, must be safe and uphold dignity and equality for women and children.   There is #NoExcuse for abuse.

From paper-based to digital immunization records! This is how Fiji’s shift to a digital system will help track children’s vaccinations nationwide and ensure no child is left behind – no matter where they live.

Access to safe sanitation has never been more important.   In the Solomon Islands, UNICEF joined the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and partners to mark World Toilet Day - reaffirming our shared commitment to ending open defecation.   With leadership from the Ministry and support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, UNICEF and partners worked across six provinces, resulting in 263 communities achieving No Open Defecation status and nearly 30,000 people gaining access to basic sanitation. Yet too many families are still being left behind.   Forty-five per cent of the population continues to practice open defecation – the highest rate in the Pacific after Papua New Guinea.   UNICEF, together with the Government, provincial authorities and partners, will continue to advance climate-resilient sanitation solutions so that every household has access to a safe toilet and no child is left behind.

The Multidimensional Child Poverty Report launched this week reveals that 28.2 per cent of children in Fiji are living in multidimensional poverty. For a child, poverty means missing out on the essentials needed to survive and thrive such as nutritious food, safe housing, clean water, education, and good healthcare. When these basic needs are not met together, children experience multidimensional poverty. This first-of-its-kind Report provides a strong foundation for targeted interventions to ensure no child is left behind. Read more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eQzSUjmR

UNICEF and the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office convened a Development Partners Roundtable to discuss preparations for the country’s first-ever Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in 2026. MICS, an international household survey programme supported by UNICEF and partners, is a key source of reliable and comparable data on the well-being of children and women. Partners were briefed on the MICS methodology and implementation plan, whose support will be essential to ensure Solomon Islands has the evidence needed to strengthen policies and services, especially for children and women.

Samoa marked #WorldChildrensDay with a child-led event at Alo Paopao Academy, hosted in partnership with UNICEF Pacific and the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development.   Children from Upolu and Savai'i shared performances and art that highlighted respect, kindness, and the importance of preventing bullying in schools and online.

“For the Pacific isn’t sinking, it is rising. And we call you to rise with us” – Young Pasifika Wayfinders. A generation from the Pacific is rising for climate action. 💚🌍 At #COP30, world leaders must put children and young people at the heart of climate decisions.