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The COVID-19 pandemic has raised huge concerns for the mental health of an entire generation of children. But the pandemic may represent only the tip of a mental health iceberg -- an iceberg we have ignored for far too long. For the first time, "The State of the World's Children" examines the mental health of children and adolescents. Against a backdrop of rising awareness of mental health issues, there is now a unique opportunity to promote good mental health for every child, protect vulnerable children and care for children facing the greatest challenges. Making that happen will require urgent investment in child and adolescent mental health across sectors -- not just in health -- to support proven interventions. It will also need societies to break the silence surrounding mental health, by addressing stigma, promoting understanding, and taking seriously the experiences of children and young people. [This report is produced by the Office of Global Insights and Policy. For "The State of the Worlds Children 2017: Children in a Digital World," see ED590013.]

This edition of "The State of the World's Children" report examines children, food and nutrition. It seeks to deepen understanding around the causes and consequences of children's malnutrition in all its forms and to highlight how governments, business, families and other stakeholders can best respond. Chapter 1 examines the changing face of children's malnutrition. Chapter 2 investigates malnutrition across the life of the child, from development in the womb to the point where a young person is entering adulthood. Chapter 3 explores malnutrition in a changing world. Chapter 4 examines the current state of responses to children's malnutrition, including the increased attention -- at the global and national level -- to the importance of addressing malnutrition across multiple systems, with particular emphasis on the food system in synergy with the health, water and sanitation, education and social protection systems, and on how different stakeholders are responding. Finally, Chapter 5 sets out an agenda to put children's nutrition rights first. A Perspectives section includes: (1) Upholding a child's right to food and nutrition (Hilal Elver); (2) Why is addressing children's nutrition important for a country's broader economic development? (Sania Nishtar); (3) Women lead the way in community-based child nutrition in rural Tanzania (Scholastica Nguli); (4) Sesame Workshop's Raya teaches children healthy habits (Sherrie Westin and Raya); (5) The food industry must accelerate action to tackle the global nutrition crisis (Inge Kauer); (6) Grassroots activism in Mexico battles childhood obesity (Alejandro Calvillo Unna); and (7) Working together to deliver healthy people and a healthy planet (Peter Bakker).

"The State of the World's Children 2017" examines the ways in which digital technology has already changed children's lives and life chances -- and explores what the future may hold. If leveraged in the right way and made universally accessible, digital technology can be a game changer for children being left behind -- whether because of poverty, race, ethnicity, gender, disability, displacement or geographic isolation -- connecting them to a world of opportunity and providing them with the skills they need to succeed in a digital world. But unless we expand access, digital technology may create new divides that prevent children from fulfilling their potential. And if we don't act now to keep pace with rapid change, online risks may make vulnerable children more susceptible to exploitation, abuse and even trafficking -- as well as more subtle threats to their well-being. This report argues for faster action, focused investment and greater cooperation to protect children from the harms of a more connected world -- while harnessing the opportunities of the digital age to benefit every child. The Perspectives section includes: (1) Realizing Limitless Possibilities: Technology Empowers People with Disabilities (Kartik Sawhney); (2) How Digital Technologies Herald a Bright Future (Karim Sy and Laura Maclet); (3) A Vision for the Future: Reflections on Children's Rights in the Digital Age (Pony Ma); (4) Are You Tattooed … Yet? (Juan Enriquez); (5) Look, Mum, No Data! (Anab Jain); (6) Hey, Alexa, Should I Wear the Pink or the Sparkly Dress Today? (Rachel Botsman); and (7) Empowering Children to Engage in the Digital World (Niels B. Christiansen).