children

Vanuatu children 'need to see their friends', educator says

With widespread damages to infrastructure, many children have lost their homes, had their schools damaged, and neighbourhoods hit hard by cyclones Judy and Kevin.

Port Vila International School teacher Cassidy Jackson-Caroll told RNZ Pacific it was important to prioritise school-aged children's wellbeing during these times.

Jackson-Caroll said that requires all stakeholders to move quickly and restore a sense of normalcy and enable children to return to school.

Can ‘good dirt’ protect your kids from asthma and allergies?

It began back in 1989, when a doctor named David Strachan observed younger siblings were less susceptible to eczema and asthma.   

He proposed it was because they were exposed to more unhygienic practices and infections, courtesy of their older brothers and sisters.   His theory became known as the hygiene hypothesis (now known by several other names, including the ‘old friends’ theory).

It’s valid to wonder about this link given New Zealand’s high rates of asthma compared to overseas. 

South Sudan: Thousands facing food insecurity as food aid cuts hit

The deaths occurred in a displacement camp in the northern Warrap state.

It comes after the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said it had suspended rationing programmes in parts of the country due to a lack of funding.

In June, the body said it needed $426m (£352m) to continue distributing food.

But that aid has not been forthcoming as the international community has focussed on other overlapping crises, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Save the Children signs deal to lead on climate change adaptation in the Pacific where children bear the brunt of extreme weather

Thanks to a US$32.6 million climate finance deal with the Green Climate Fund, the government of Vanuatu and the Australian government, the programme will help communities in Vanuatu, a South Pacific nation of roughly 80 islands, adapt to the rapidly growing threat of the climate crisis.

Hepatitis detected in nearly 300 children worldwide

Health officials around the world are investigating a mysterious increase in cases of the liver condition which was first spotted in the UK.

A common virus called adenovirus, which has rebounded after the pandemic, could be causing the surge.

One death has been reported by the WHO.

As of 1 May, it said most cases of young children with hepatitis had been detected in Europe with small numbers also reported in the Americas, western Pacific and South East Asia.

Dan Carter takes on 24-hour kickathon for charity

Returning to Eden Park to launch his dedicated fundraising platform in association with UNICEF, the DC10 fund, Carter is taking on a 24-hour kickathon.

He is aiming to knock 1598 kicks between the posts in a period of 24 hours - matching the total number of points the first-five notched in his All Black career.

Funds raised from the event will be put toward UNICEF's water sanitation and hygiene programme for children in the Pacific.

     

Mariupol children bear the brunt of Vladimir Putin's war

He clutches a small yellow toy tractor but says nothing as specialist nurses monitor his condition. The Russian shell that blasted shrapnel into his belly also badly wounded his parents and grandparents as they tried to flee Mariupol. A victim of Putin's war and he's not yet three years old.

In the next bed to Artem lies 15-year-old Masha, also from near Mariupol. Her right leg was amputated after it was torn apart by the blast from a Russian shell last Tuesday.

Metaverse app allows kids into virtual strip clubs

A researcher posing as a 13-year-old girl witnessed grooming, sexual material, racist insults and a rape threat in the virtual-reality world.

The children's charity said it was "shocked and angry" at the findings.

Head of online child safety policy Andy Burrows added the investigation had found "a toxic combination of risks".

The BBC News researcher - using an app with a minimum age rating of 13 - visited virtual-reality rooms where avatars were simulating sex. She was shown sex toys and condoms, and approached by numerous adult men.

Netflix Squid Game schools warning sent to parents

The Netflix South Korean thriller series tells the story of debt-ridden people competing for a huge cash prize in a deadly series of children's games.

Its popularity prompted Central Bedfordshire Council to email parents about "aggressive" primary pupils.

They were advised to "be vigilant", as first reported by The Guardian.

The email said: "There have been some concerning reports recently about children and young people 'playing' Squid Game whilst at school.

Vaccinating children crucial - top Fiji health official

It comes amid concerns raised by the Health Ministry and the public at the rate of children dying from the virus in Fiji.

So far about 10 young people have succumbed to the Delta variant, with the latest victims a six-month-old boy and an 11-year-old girl among the dead reported last weekend.

Fiji's chief medical advisor Dr Jemesa Tudravu said vaccinating children would also be a crucial factor in deciding when schools reopen

Schools have been closed since April this year.