Early Childhood Development:

Antony Duttine, Handicap International

Coregroup Spring meeting. 25th April 2013

are we failing when it doesn’t happen?©

Erika Pin

eros/H

and

icap In

ternatio

nal

Conclusion

NO!

(but we are if we don’t support children with developmental issues)

Globally, child mortality is decreasing…

1990: 12 million

2011: 6.9 millionSOURCE: UNICEF

QUESTION:

Are we seeing a changing prevalence in morbidity and disability as a result? UNCLEAR

SOURCE: UNICEF

What is disability?

Personal Factors(impairments)

+ Life Habits

(disability)

Environmental Factors(barriers)

Interaction

Source: Disability Creation Process (modified) RIPPH 2011

To the main lesson:

3 take home messages

EARLY DETECTION AND ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE SERVICES IS KEY:

Point 1

Shifting from children being identified at this age:

© Sebastian Bozada / Handicap International

To this age:

© Erika Pineros/Handicap International

To better achieve this:

© J Clark/ Handicap International

YOU ARE KEY AS COMMUNITY HEALTH ACTORS IN SUPPORTING ECD

Point 2

Point 2

Know, understand and educate on key development milestones

(Point 1)

Source: Disabled Village Children, Hesperian

Source: Disabled Village Children, Hesperian

Point 2 (Point 2)

know the key risk factors…

• Premature birth

• Traumatic birth/low APGAR/resuscitation

• Jaundice/infection/serious illness – neonatal

• Stunting

etcand monitor their development

© Antony Duttine/Handicap International

Point 2(Point 3)

Integrate ECD into existing child health monitoring

(its not as technical as you might think)

© Erika Pineros/Handicap International

Point 2(Point 4)

Advocate for/develop appropriate health services to support children with developmental

disabilities

Community based

+

Specific/specialised

© Erika Pineros/Handicap International

ECD IS MULTI-SECTORAL – IT IS NOT ALL ON YOUR SHOULDERS (BUT WE NEED COLLABORATION)

Point 3

Resources• Disabled village children (Hesperian):

– http://hesperian.org/books-and-resources/

• Early childhood development and disability – a discussion paper (WHO and UNICEF)– http://www.ecdgroup.com/pdfs/ECD-Disability-UNICEF-

WHO-2012.pdf

• Development Difficulties in Early Childhood (WHO)– http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2012/97892415035

49_eng.pdf

• Monitoring Child Disability in Developing Countries (UNICEF)– http://www.childinfo.org/files/Monitoring_Child_Disability

_in_Developing_Countries.pdf