Durban — The World Health Organization says greater investment is needed in the foundational early years so that children everywhere have the best possible start for a healthy life ahead.
This follows a progress report which looked back on the five years since the Nurturing Care for Child Development framework was launched.
The framework provides a roadmap for creating a stable environment that is sensitive to children’s health and nutritional needs, with protection from threats, opportunities for early learning, and interactions that are responsive, emotionally supportive and developmentally stimulating.
Moreover, the WHO said, according to the report, that political commitment to early childhood development has increased since the framework was launched five years ago. Close to 50% more countries have developed related policies or plans, and services have expanded.
Director of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at the WHO, Dr Anshu Banerjee, said early childhood development provided a critical window to improve health and well-being across life – with impacts that resonate even into the next generation.
“A child’s early experiences have a profound impact on their overall health and development. They affect health, growth, learning, behaviour and – ultimately – adult social relationships, well-being and earnings. The period from pregnancy to the age of three is when the brain develops fastest, with more than 80% of neural development happening during this time,” said Banerjee.
Dr Victor Aguayo, director of Nutrition and Child Development at the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef), said every child had a right to the best of life.
Aguayo said: “This includes the right to good nutrition and stimulation, responsive care and early learning, health and a safe environment. These rights provide children with the opportunity to grow and develop to their full potential. As children thrive, entire communities grow, and a sustainable future is possible.”
Dr Bernadette Daelmans, head of Child Health and Development at the WHO, said to improve the health of children, they must not only focus on meeting their immediate physical needs but also ensure that they are able to learn effectively and develop positive, emotionally rewarding relations with people around them.
“This is the role of nurturing care – laying the foundations for healthy brain development with lifelong implications for learning, health and well-being,” said Daelmans.
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