Early childhood development

The past year saw 14.3 million “zero-dose” children who never received a single dose of any vaccine, WHO and UNICEF said in a joint press release on Tuesday.

At the border, families endure sweltering temperatures often topping 40°C, armed with the few belongings they could manage to pack. They find shade under blankets, while signs of malnutrition are evident in children, and many mothers appear worn down and anxious.

In Upper Kohistan, 98 out of 718 babies – roughly 13.65 per cent – were born underweight, making it the most affected district in the province. Kolai Palas followed with a 9.04 per cent rate (34 out of 376), while Upper Chitral recorded 76 such cases out of 1,212 births, translating to 6.27 per cent.

An overwhelming number of Sri Lankan households subsist on less than Rs. 1000 a day, or roughly Rs. 30,000 a month. These families are compelled to make impossible choices – often between food and education – leading many to defer or forgo early education for their children.

The orientation program is part of NLUO’s commitment to creating Child-Friendly Communities, and it marks a milestone in Project Kutumb’s mission to foster safer environments for vulnerable and at-risk children.

Since September 2023, nearly a million Afghans, 545,000 of them children, have returned, often with little more than a few belongings in hand and no clear idea of what lies ahead.

The virtual session, attended by EPFO officers and officials from across the country, underscored the need to infuse governance with empathy, moral accountability, and human connection.

As the event drew close, Prof Swain offered a resonant final thought: “Justice for children cannot remain an idea. It must become a delivered right. We are here to make that happen – not just in Odisha, not just in India, but anywhere and everywhere.”