Investment in child and adolescent health and development: key messages from Disease Control Priorities, 3rd Edition.
Bundy, Donald AP;
de Silva, Nilanthi;
Horton, Susan;
Patton, George C;
Schultz, Linda;
Jamison, Dean T;
Disease Control Priorities-3 Child and Adolescent Health and Dev;
(2018)
Investment in child and adolescent health and development: key messages from Disease Control Priorities, 3rd Edition.
LANCET, 391 (10121).
pp. 687-699.
ISSN 0140-6736
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32417-0
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The realisation of human potential for development requires age-specific investment throughout the 8000 days of childhood and adolescence. Focus on the first 1000 days is an essential but insufficient investment. Intervention is also required in three later phases: the middle childhood growth and consolidation phase (5-9 years), when infection and malnutrition constrain growth, and mortality is higher than previously recognised; the adolescent growth spurt (10-14 years), when substantial changes place commensurate demands on good diet and health; and the adolescent phase of growth and consolidation (15-19 years), when new responses are needed to support brain maturation, intense social engagement, and emotional control. Two cost-efficient packages, one delivered through schools and one focusing on later adolescence, would provide phase-specific support across the life cycle, securing the gains of investment in the first 1000 days, enabling substantial catch-up from early growth failure, and leveraging improved learning from concomitant education investments.