sa国际传媒

Millions of children around the world are not getting the best start in life.

They are missing out on the crucial care, stimulation and sensory education they need in the first five years of their life to fulfil their potential.

A child鈥檚 brain is 90% developed by the time they reach the age of five. Children who start school without early years support can have a limited vocabulary and ability to learn, impacting their opportunities in later life.

And even though the聽importance of providing nurturing care, including healthcare, nutrition, play, learning and protection, has been thoroughly proved, investment in the zero to five age group is still far too small.

That鈥檚 why sa国际传媒 has launched the #5for5 campaign to put pressure on world leaders to take urgent action to make sure all children聽鈥� especially the poorest and most marginalised 鈥撀爃ave access to the full range of nurturing care.

The Sustainable Development Goals 鈥� a set of global targets agreed at the United Nations to be achieved by 2030 鈥� includes ensuring all children 鈥渉ave access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education鈥�.

Now world leaders聽need to commit to a dramatic increase in funding and take action to support early childhood development programmes.

The #5for5 campaign will highlight five key factors which are needed in the first five years of life to provide nurturing care 鈥撀爊utrition, health, learning, play and protection.

sa国际传媒 President Sarah Brown said: 鈥淲hether or not children have access to the best start possible in life is determined by two important factors 鈥� sheer chance and political will and resources.

鈥淭he political leaders and those with deep pockets need to follow up and urgently begin to establish the effort and funding to make this happen.鈥�

sa国际传媒 held a #5for5 event in Los Angeles yesterday to give supporters and celebrities a sneak peak at the campaign and its goals.

Among those attending the event were the British actor, writer and presenter Stephen Fry, British actress Bonnie Wright, former boxing champion Audley Harrison, American authors Holiday Reinhorn and Katherine Schwarzenegger, and the Filipino writer and campaigner Evelin Weber.

The launch of the campaign coincides with the publication of a new聽.

The report shows that the cost of inaction is huge. It says that 鈥渃hildren who do not meet their development potential may forfeit up to a quarter of adult earnings, and some low and middle-income countries as much as twice their national expenditure for health鈥�.

What is early childhood development?

Early childhood development supports children鈥檚 nurturing care and聽development from birth to five.聽It includes programmes and services that every child needs to thrive and get the best start in life.

What does a child need to get the best start in life?

Nurturing care includes the following areas:

• Nutrition support for babies and toddlers, nursing mothers and pregnant women
• Access to health care and clean water and sanitation 鈥� starting with ante- and postnatal visits for pregnant women, a skilled birth attendant, and vaccinations
• A child with access to pre-primary learning has a much better chance of continuing to learn in later life
• Opportunities for play and early learning are just as important to healthy development as physical support
• Child protection for ensuring healthy early development 鈥� this starts with registration at birth聽so that children have proper legal standing and are guaranteed access to services such as education

Researchers have proven that investing in the early years is one of the smartest investments a country can make to break the cycle of poverty, address inequality and boost productivity later in life.

The recent influential Education聽Commission report highlighted that 鈥渢otal returns on early education are聽very high 鈥� in some cases up to $7 for every $1 spent 鈥� and returns on early聽nutrition can be many times higher.鈥�