Early childhood development: an imperative for action and measurement at scale.

Journal: BMJ global health

Volume: 4

Issue: Suppl 4

Year of Publication: 

Affiliated Institutions:  Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa. RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA. Early Childhood Development, Unicef USA, New York City, New York, USA. Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Early Childhood Development, World Bank Group, Washington, District of Columbia, USA. Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. Household Economics and Health Systems, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland. Fielding School of Public Health and WORLD Policy Analysis Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA. Early Opportunities, Washington, District of Columbia, USA. Division of Global Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. RISE Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

Abstract summary 

Experiences during early childhood shape biological and psychological structures and functions in ways that affect health, well-being and productivity throughout the life course. The science of early childhood and its long-term consequences have generated political momentum to improve early childhood development and elevated action to country, regional and global levels. These advances have made it urgent that a framework, measurement tools and indicators to monitor progress globally and in countries are developed and sustained. We review progress in three areas of measurement contributing to these goals: the development of an index to allow country comparisons of young children's development that can easily be incorporated into ongoing national surveys; improvements in population-level assessments of young children at risk of poor early development; and the production of country profiles of determinants, drivers and coverage for early childhood development and services using currently available data in 91 countries. While advances in these three areas are encouraging, more investment is needed to standardise measurement tools, regularly collect country data at the population level, and improve country capacity to collect, interpret and use data relevant to monitoring progress in early childhood development.

Authors & Co-authors:  Richter Linda L Black Maureen M Britto Pia P Daelmans Bernadette B Desmond Chris C Devercelli Amanda A Dua Tarun T Fink Günther G Heymann Jody J Lombardi Joan J Lu Chunling C Naicker Sara S Vargas-Barón Emily E

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations :  Shonkoff JP, Richter L, van der Gaag J, et al. . An integrated scientific framework for child survival and early childhood development. Pediatrics 2012;129:e460–72. 10.1542/peds.2011-0366
Authors :  13
Identifiers
Doi : e001302
SSN : 2059-7908
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Other Terms
accountability;countdown to 2030;country profiles;early childhood development;measurement;sustainable development goals
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Country of Study
Publication Country
England