Foreword
In 2018, WHO, UNICEF and the World Bank Group, in collaboration with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and the Early Childhood Development Action Network, launched the Nurturing care for early childhood development: a framework to help children survive and thrive to transform health and human potential.
The Framework came at the moment that world leaders had made commitments to reduce inequities and work towards sustainable development. The evidence that achievement of these goals rests on strong beginnings in early childhood is irrefutable.
This report takes stock of the uptake of the roadmap proposed in the Framework by governments and partners and highlights the value it has added to the field of early childhood development. The results are encouraging.
First, the Framework has provided a shared language that has made it possible for relevant sectors and stakeholders to align their commitments and coordinate actions to achieve good health, adequate nutrition, responsive caregiving, opportunities for early learning, and safety and security for every child.
Second, evidence is being translated into action. There has been a 48% increase in the number of countries that have adopted policies that put early childhood development at the centre; and heightened progress with countries strengthening services and addressing missing components of nurturing care.
Third, the health sector is stepping up its role alongside other sectors. Primary health care provides a key platform for reaching all families and young children with essential interventions for early childhood development. It also is a stepping stone for early identification and care for children and caregivers who need additional support, for example because of developmental difficulties or mental health issues.
In the past five years, foundations have been laid. We now need to continue investing, measuring, adapting, scaling up and sustaining policies and interventions that are context-specific, and give families and communities the resources they need to allow their children to grow in stimulating, safe and secure environments.
Data are essential to guide the action. Measures, such as the Early childhood development index 2030 and the Global scales for early development are available to assess early childhood development starting soon after birth and should be used to prioritize and strengthen programming.
The Nurturing care framework has proven to be an indispensable tool on the journey to create a better future for current and future generations, starting in early childhood. The achievements in implementing it to date should inspire us to sustain momentum and increase the investments needed to ensure that every child can realize the right to survive and thrive, and is equipped to contribute to a better, more equitable, and sustainable world.
Dr Anshu Banerjee
Director
Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing World Health Organization
Dr Victor Aguayo
Director
Nutrition and Child Development UNICEF