Shocking numbers of children are dying out of hunger, poverty and from illnesses that are entirely preventable, most of them in the first years of life. Every year, 5.2 million children under the age of five die from preventable causes.

Marginalised children are the most vulnerable as they lack access to quality healthcare, such as vaccines, medicines, or nutrients – all of which save lives. This is especially true in conflict and emergencies, or in poor and deprived areas, where the challenge of keeping children alive is heightened.

Girls and women often lack access to care or information during domestic abuse, pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period or because poverty. They also struggle to access health services or be denied an education that would protect them from unwanted traumas.