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National Child Protection Week is marked annually to raise awareness for the rights of children. It aims to mobilise all sectors of society to care for and protect children. Child Protection Week allows South Africans to focus on children’s issues; highlight successes and identify what still needs to be done. During the course of the week, awareness talks and advocacy events will be held across the country. The issue of child labour was highlighted as a specific area of concern. In the event that you suspect child abuse, neglect or exploitation of any kind, and want to report it, use the following avenues to uphold the protection of children:
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Measles outbreak in Gauteng The 2017 Emergency Measles Outbreak Campaign will be conducted until 26 May. The Gauteng department of health noticed an increase in confirmed measles cases since the beginning of March this year in the province. The national department of health advised the province to conduct an emergency measles outbreak campaign, vaccinating all children from six months up to five years with one dose of measles vaccine, irrespective of their vaccination status. At this stage only Johannesburg will vaccinate children from six months to 15 years. In Pretoria, all children from six months up to five years need to be vaccinated. The City of Tshwane urges all parents or guardians to take their children to their nearest clinic for one dose of measles vaccine. The 2017 Emergency Measles Outbreak Campaign is currently running until 26 May. Health professional teams will visit crèches to immunise all children from six months up to five years old with one dose of measles vaccine, irrespective of their immunisation status. Measles is a serious disease, which can cause blindness, deafness, brain damage, pneumonia and even death. It can affect anyone, including children and adults. What to do: For children in crèches, complete and sign the consent form and send it back to the crèche the following day. If your children are not attending a crèche take them to the nearest clinic. No “Road to Health” cards or booklets are required. Symptoms: Measles is the most serious of common childhood viral illnesses. It manifests as: fever, a rash, runny nose, cough and red eyes. In severe cases symptoms include mouth ulcers, a painful throat and diarrhoea. How is it treated? There is no specific treatment for measles, because it is a virus, it needs to run its course.
 In order to reduce poverty, malnutrition and improved food security the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund through its partner organisation known as Fanang Diatla Self-Help Project started a bakery in the area of Ga-Mathabathe in the Limpopo province. Currently the bakery provides bread and other bakery produce to local shops, spaza shops and donates some products to the needy within the community. Bakery produce are also used by schools as part of the government’s schools feeding programme.
Before the bakery was established, community members, teachers and principals of the schools reported showed that the level of concentration from the malnourished pupils was of great concern, and the food from the bakery has made a tremendous difference in the lives of children.
The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund in partnership with the KG Maluleke Memorial Disability Integration Organization facilitates integration of children with disabilities into the mainstream schools. Being at mainstream school enables these individual to adjust and adapt to an unprotected environment and interact with able-bodied people earlier than at tertiary level, as opposed to being at 'special schools' 
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