UNICEF and the European Commission have launched a Prevention Toolkit for Children’s Health and Well-being, intended to help policymakers strengthen policies and action protecting children and adolescents. The announcement was made in Brussels on 9 October 2026.

Developed through a three-year partnership, the toolkit gathers evidence, guidance and examples of promising practice in one platform. It is aimed at policymakers at European, national and sub-national levels, supporting them through the policy cycle from identifying challenges to monitoring. It covers mental health, immunisation, early childhood development and healthy lifestyles, and offers countries ways to share policies and practices and collaborate with researchers, practitioners and young people.

The mental health section launches first, ahead of World Mental Health Day, with the other three areas to follow. UNICEF cited one in six children and young people in Europe living with a mental health condition. The toolkit is described as a living platform, with new evidence added over time and support for interested countries to test and adapt its resources. It forms part of a wider EU-funded action by UNICEF’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety.