GARY DARMSTADT

The first 1,000 days of a child’s life set the stage for future success. Yet an estimated 200 million children worldwide do not get a healthy start because of poverty, poor nutrition, and other challenges. Health services are particularly well placed to reach children early with services that support families to deliver nurturing care and facilitate early childhood development. However, the time has come for the health sector to expand its vision of health beyond prevention and treatment of disease to include the promotion of nurturing care for young children as crucial factor in the realization of the human potential of all people.