A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF calls for greater attention to the vital first years of a child’s life. The report, titled “Nurturing care for every child,” highlights the importance of early childhood development (ECD) for lifelong health, well-being, and productivity.
The report estimates that 250 million children under the age of 5 are not reaching their developmental potential. This is due to a variety of factors, including poverty, malnutrition, violence, and lack of access to quality early childhood care and education.
The report calls for a number of actions to improve ECD, including:
- Investing in high-quality early childhood care and education programs.
- Ensuring that all children have access to nutritious food and clean water.
- Reducing violence against children.
- Promoting positive parenting practices.
The report also calls for a greater focus on ECD in national development plans. “The first years of life are a critical window of opportunity for shaping the future of a child,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “We must invest in ECD now to reap the benefits for generations to come.”
Here are some additional details from the report:
- The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are the most important for brain development.
- Early childhood experiences can have a lasting impact on a child’s health, well-being, and ability to learn.
- Investing in ECD can yield significant economic benefits.
- Every country can make progress in improving ECD, regardless of its income level.
The future of ECD:
- The report calls for a greater focus on ECD in national development plans.
- It also calls for more research on ECD and how to improve it.
- The report’s findings could help to shape global policies and programs on ECD in the years to come.
