The big picture
Children have the power to change the world, yet every year millions of children under five lose their lives to diseases like measles, tuberculosis and pneumonia. That’s why UNICEF is declaring war on this deadly enemy.
Our not so secret, secret weapon? Vaccines. We already supply them to almost half the world’s children, and now we’re recruiting an army of supporters so we can do even more.
5 lives
are saved every minute of every day by vaccines.
1.5 million
children still die each year because they haven't received the right vaccines.
Join the fight to help us win the War on Disease
Donate nowVaccines: the facts
They work
Vaccines save lives.
Before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963 the disease caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year.
Since 2000, 2.5 billion children have received the polio vaccine and the number of cases has fallen by more than 99%.
With your help, we can beat these diseases for good.
They're cheap
And getting cheaper. With UNICEF efforts, the price for a number of essential childhood vaccines has reached all-time lows.
The cost of vaccines to fully vaccinate a child against:
Measles = 66p
Polio = 14p
Tetanus = 11p
They're an investment in the future
Vaccines are one of the most cost-effective health tools ever invented. Every £1 spent provides £44 in social and economic benefits.
When children stay healthy, they can go to school and grow up to become active members of their community.
100 million people are pushed into poverty every year by medical costs that could be avoided in part by vaccination.
We’ll do whatever it takes
UNICEF is the world’s best-placed organisation to win the War on Disease. We provide more vaccines for children than anyone else, going to extreme lengths to reach the most remote places on earth.
Join the fight to help us win the War on Disease
Donate nowWith you, UNICEF can win the fight
To win a war like this takes a team of amazing people. From the global staff who help deliver campaigns that vaccinate thousands of children at once, to UNICEF-trained community health workers on the frontline. But we need one more person to join the team – you.
Children in Aden, Yemen proudly show off the spots on their arms where they were vaccinated during a mobile measles and rubella vaccination campaign backed by UNICEF.
UNICEF/Fadhel
Join the fight to help us win the War on Disease
Donate nowDisease is on the attack – we need your help to fight back
We’re doing everything we can, but things like conflict, disaster, and poverty cause 20 million children to miss out on essential vaccines every year.
Growing mistrust in the life-saving force of vaccines is leaving more and more children vulnerable. Cases of measles have risen 300% in the last year alone. Even the UK has now lost its measles-free status.
There can be no more casualties. We must stand up to disease now before it’s too late.
Measles, a dangerous and highly contagious viral infection, is particularly lethal in children under five. All it takes is two simple injections to protect a child for life.
UNICEF