Nurturing care framework at World Health Assembly

The World Health Organization, UNICEF and the World Bank Group, in collaboration with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) and other partners, have developed a nurturing care framework for early childhood.

the 5 nurturing care aspect (source: WHO)

The Nurturing Care Framework was created in response to strong evidence and growing recognition that the early years are critical for human development. It sets out the most effective policies and services that will help parents and caregivers provide nurturing care for babies. To reach their full potential, children need the five inter-related and indivisible components of nurturing care: good health, adequate nutrition, safety and security, responsive caregiving and opportunities for learning.

Investing in early childhood development is one of the best investments a country can make to boost economic growth, promote peaceful and sustainable societies, and eliminate extreme poverty and inequality. Equally important, investing in early childhood development is necessary to uphold the right of every child to survive and thrive.

The Framework provides an evidence-based roadmap for action and outlines how policies and services can support parents, families, other caregivers and communities in providing nurturing care for young children. It calls for attention to be paid to communities where children are most at risk of being left behind.

The launch of the Nurturing Care Framework builds on a landmark Lancet series on early childhood development, which was published in October 2016.

The essential role of mothers and the family environment for Early Childhood Development has been a key area of advocacy for MMM: mothers – and fathers – must be better supported in this important responsibility as caring for an infant requires knowledge and skills and can also be challenging.

MMM participated in the 2 rounds of multistakeholder consultations that led to the framework, highlighting the specific and essential role mothers play in the development of their child during pregnancy and these early years, – including by taking care of their own physical and mental health. MMM regrets that this view is not fully reflected in the framework.