In Madagascar a 3-day workshop was organized for technical staff from relevant ministries and partners. The aim was to foster a common understanding of ECD across sectors and advance finalization of a national multisectoral ECD strategy.

On 24 November 2020, a half day workshop was organized for 35 media professionals followed by an opportunity for 10 journalists to visit ECD-related sites and generate stories from the field visits. The media also participated in the high-level advocacy meeting and technical workshop. The aim was to provide the media with key information regarding ECD and motivate them to use their platforms to elevate attention to ECD.

This event celebrated the launch of the 2020 Country Profiles for Early Childhood Development. A panel of experts and country representatives discussed the current state of knowledge on ECD and rallied partners around investing in strengthening the availability, quality and strategic use of data on ECD to support country and cross-country action and monitoring.

The International Step-by-Step Association (ISSA), with financial support from the Bernard van Leer Foundation, is hosting a webinar: “Father Engagement Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges, Promising Approaches and Opportunities”.

This webinar is hosted by the Kenya Paediatric Association and features speakers from the Ministry of Health, Kenya Paediatric Association, Aga Khan University, World Health Organisation and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

ISSA’s 2020 conference will have a particular focus on equity in early childhood.

A discussion on investing in human capital at the 2020 IMF/World Bank Group Annual Meetings, Civil Society Policy Forum. The session will examine the impact of major disruptions in services for the nurturing care and development of all young children as a result of COVID-19. It will present a new tool: “Cost of Inaction for Young Children”, and identify pathways to increase investments for young children.

As part of its ‘Early Childhood Development Expert Talk’ series, the Aga Khan University is hosting an online presentation from with Dr Rajesh Mehta, who works with the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office in New Delhi. Dr Mehta has been Regional Adviser for Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health since 2010.

This WHO webinar will be a practical discussion on how to sustain and improve high-quality maternal and newborn health care, an essential health services to protect the lives and health of women and children. Increased coverage of care for four targets by 2025 is essential to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, and the attainment of the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, and universal health coverage for all.

This webinar will address the impact of COVID on early childhood development (ECD) programs globally and provide tangible ways to promote ECD during the pandemic.