Tanzania urged to turn early childhood knowledge into action

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania must move beyond discussions about early childhood development and translate existing research and programmes into practical support for millions of children, Ubongo chief executive officer Mwasi Wilmore has said.

Ms Wilmore said the country already had extensive research, programmes and discussions on the needs of children during their formative years, but the bigger challenge was turning that knowledge into action in homes and communities.

“I do not want to talk anymore about an early childhood development discussion involving Ubongo and UNICEF Tanzania, calling on stakeholders to focus on interventions that produce tangible results for children and families,” she said.

Her call comes amid significant gaps in child development, with data presented during a recent discussion showing that children below eight account for about 27 percent of Tanzania’s population, equivalent to roughly 17 million children.

About 30 percent of children under five are affected by stunting, while only 47 percent of young children are developmentally on track.

The figures highlight the scale of the challenge for a country seeking to build the human capital needed to achieve its long-term economic ambitions.

Ms Wilmore said the period from pregnancy to age eight provides the foundation for lifelong health, learning and wellbeing, with the first 1,000 days being particularly important because of rapid brain development.

Tanzania Development Vision 2050 places human capability at the centre of the country’s development ambitions. UNICEF Tanzania’s Mary-Ann G. Schreiner said the workforce expected to drive that future was already being raised in Tanzanian homes.

However, support for children remains fragmented across sectors such as health, nutrition, education and childcare, despite their close links.

Tanzania has programmes covering nutrition, maternal and child health, early learning, parenting and childcare. Educational content is also reaching families through television, radio, mobile phones and digital platforms.

Ubongo uses educational content to combine literacy and numeracy with lessons on nutrition, health, hygiene and social-emotional development, giving parents and caregivers tools to reinforce learning at home.

However, the existence of programmes does not necessarily mean families have access to quality support.

BRAC Maendeleo Tanzania general manager Liz Gupta said demand for childcare was changing as more parents sought services for younger children, including babies as young as six months.

She said the trend raised questions about the affordability and regulation of childcare services.

The gap is also reflected in access to formal childcare. UNICEF has reported that Tanzania has fewer than 4,000 registered daycare centres, with less than four percent of children under five having access to formal childcare.

Children in Crossfire Tanzania country director Craig Ferla said improving early childhood development did not always require expensive interventions.

He cited talking to babies, playing with children, breastfeeding, using locally available materials for play and replacing corporal punishment with positive approaches as practices parents and caregivers could adopt in everyday life.

For Ms Wilmore, however, turning such interventions into meaningful results will require those closest to children to be part of the process.

“Let’s get the right people. Let’s have the right conversations,” she said, calling for parents, caregivers, community organisations, childcare providers and frontline workers to work alongside the Government and development institutions.