Early Childhood Development (ECD)

By the age of 4, it is estimated that over 40% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa fail to meet the cognitive or socio-emotional milestones expected for their age. Many are likely to do poorly in school and subsequently have low incomes and high fertility as adults. This consequently leads to poorer provisions of health care, nutrition, and stimulation for their own children, thus contributing to the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage.

Intervening in the first 3 years of life is a highly effective way to help children develop to their full potential. In this period, complex brain development takes place that affects cognition and motor skills, laying the foundations for educational achievement, economic productivity, and reduced inequality. Effective stimulation during this period plays a key role in encouraging brain development, whilst poor nutrition and sub-optimal parental interactions hinder it. Parent-focused interventions which encourage cognitive stimulation can allow children to compensate for delays in their development due to adverse circumstances such as malnutrition. The benefits of such early interventions can still be measured many years later.