Early childhood development

Science shows that life is a story for which the beginning sets the tone. That makes the early years of childhood a time of great opportunity, but also great risk.  Children’s brains are built, moment by moment, as they interact with their environments. In the first few years of life, more than one million neural connections are formed each second…, Explore topics in early childhood development, When we give children the best start in life, the benefits are huge, for every child and for the societies we share. Providing early childhood development (ECD) interventions to all young children and families is one of the most powerful and cost-effective equalizers we have at our disposal, to ensure that the most vulnerable children can reach…, Abdo Gonzalez, 35, holds his daughter Paula, 14 months, for a portrait inside their apartment in the Fernando de la Mora district of Asunción, Paraguay. Support for parenting, Because parents and caregivers are the most important providers of nurturing care in early childhood, UNICEF works to ensure they have the time, resources and services they need to provide it. We offer information and resources UNICEF Parenting directly to parents , and also work with service providers and employers to offer support for parenting…, Inzhu, 2 years, playing and discovering new toys with trained coordinator of the PNS resource center in Turkestan. Support to governments and partners, Promoting children’s optimal development involves coordinated efforts across health, nutrition, education, child protection and social protection systems, and beyond. UNICEF works with governments, businesses, civil society and academia to strengthen these systems so that children receive the services required for their developmental needs – and…, Adra in eastern Ghouta in the Syrian Arab Republic, a UNICEF Syria child protection specialist holds 6-months-old baby Yusuf as his mother queued for services. Early childhood development in emergencies, For young children in humanitarian and fragile settings, access to ECD services is a matter of life and death. UNICEF advocates with governments, donors and other partners to ensure that ECD is treated – and funded – as a priority in all humanitarian action, including in protracted crises. We also work with partners to provide essential ECD…, Denee Warner, 28, holds her 19 month-old son Justice Warner outside Marilyn’s Nursery in Cottonground in Saint Thomas Lowland Parish on Nevis island, St. Kitts and Nevis. Tracking early childhood development, Data and evidence on ECD are essential to identifying the children at greatest risk of not achieving their full potential, improving and targeting services, and making the case for adequate investments in young children and their families. UNICEF works with governments and other partners to monitor ECD and create measurement tools that help close…

To reach their full potential, children need high-quality health care and services – especially in life’s early moments. The time between pregnancy and age 3, when the brain is most susceptible to environmental influences, is critical for a child’s growth and development . All children – including those with disabilities and developmental delays,…, UNICEF’s response, In 2018, UNICEF co-led the creation of the Nurturing Care Framework for Early Childhood Development . This framework outlines relevant policies, interventions and strategies needed across sectors – including health, nutrition, education and child protection – to strengthen early childhood development and monitor progress towards associated goals.…, Resources, Publisher Title UNICEF & WHO Nurturing Care Practice Guide UNICEF & WHO Nurturing Care Handbook WHO Nurturing care for children living in humanitarian settings UNICEF Operationalizing Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development UNICEF & WHO Care for Child Development: Technical Note WHO International Classification of Functioning,…, More from UNICEF

Over the past two decades, the world has made tremendous progress improving child and adolescent health and well-being. But challenges persist. Communicable diseases continue to endanger children and adolescents across the globe – and new health problems are on the rise, especially in areas affected by poverty.  Mental health conditions,…, Learn more, UNICEF’s response, UNICEF works around the world to help children survive and thrive throughout the first two decades of life. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, our efforts build strong health systems to promote universal health coverage, while addressing emerging issues in child and adolescent health. , Adolescent health and well-being, UNICEF and partners support the development and implementation of national plans for adolescent health, improving adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health including maternal and newborn care, promoting and protecting mental health, and scaling up access to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to eliminate cervical cancer. Learn more, Non-communicable diseases , UNICEF works to expand access to programmes for preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), focusing on risk reduction throughout the maternal, child and adolescent life cycle. We integrate NCD prevention in existing maternal, newborn and child health programmes. We also support it through education and other social sectors. Learn more, Health and child development, In collaboration with partners, UNICEF co-led the development of the Nurturing Care Framework for early childhood development. We support key health components of nurturing care, particularly in a child’s early moments, and seek opportunities to advance nurturing care through routine health interactions between families and caregivers. UNICEF also…, Healthy environments, UNICEF addresses the environmental risks to children that emerge from climate change, lead exposure and environmental degradation as organizational and global advocacy priorities, by supporting national, local and community-based programmes. Learn more, Injuries, UNICEF supports countries in the prevention of child injuries and drowning – especially by improving data collection to inform policymaking. Learn more

Major causes of death among children vary by age. Children under 5 are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases like malaria , pneumonia , diarrhoea , HIV and tuberculosis . For older children, non-communicable diseases, injuries and conflict pose significant threats.  Despite being entirely preventable and treatable, common infectious…, Pneumonia, Pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of death among children under 5, killing approximately 700,000 children a year. In many parts of the world, a child dies from pneumonia every minute – even though the disease is entirely preventable and can be easily managed with antibiotics. Pneumonia is a disease of inequality – one concentrated within…, Diarrhoea, In recent years, significant progress has been made reducing child deaths from diarrhoea. But diarrhoea remains a leading killer of young children, particularly in humanitarian settings.  In 2019, diarrhoea killed approximately 480,000 young children across the globe, accounting for 9 per cent of all deaths among children under age 5.   These…, Malaria, Malaria is the world’s third most deadly disease for young children between the ages of one month and 5 years, following pneumonia and diarrhoea. In 2021, there were 247 million malaria cases globally that led to 619,000 deaths in total. Of these deaths, 77 per cent were children under 5 years of age. Nearly every minute, a child dies from malaria…, Tuberculosis, A young boy smiles after being treated for malnutrition and tuberculosis. Nyajime Guet, who was being treated for severe acute malnutrition and tuberculosis, smiles in Juba, South Sudan. Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that the world knows how to prevent and treat. Yet, over 600 children under the age of 15 die from it every day – nearly a quarter…, Resources, Publisher Title WHO World Malaria Report 2021 UNICEF Ending child deaths from pneumonia and diarrhoea WHO Roadmap Towards Ending Tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents UNICEF Change the Game: An agenda for action on childhood tuberculosis, More from UNICEF