Expanding Opportunities for the Next Generation: Early Childhood Development in the Middle East and North Africa

Caroline Krafft and Safaa El-Kogali

No 21287 in World Bank Publications - Books from The World Bank Group

Abstract: Early childhood is the most important stage of human development. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), there is little research and inadequate investment in this crucial stage of life. This book assesses the state of early childhood development (ECD) in MENA from before birth through age five, examining multiple dimensions of early development including health, nutrition, socio-emotional development, early learning, and early work. The book begins with a discussion of the importance of ECD as a critical foundation for later development, and also as a stage of life when inequality and social exclusion begin. ECD in MENA is set in a global context, and then countries within MENA are compared, with chapters on ECD in Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen. As well as illustrating the state of ECD, the chapters assess risk and protective factors for early development and the extent of inequality in early childhood. A discussion of policies and programs that can enhance ECD illustrates how inequality and shortfalls in early development can be effectively addressed. This book will be of interest to anyone interested in the state of human development and inequality in MENA.

Keywords: Education-Early Childhood Development Health; Nutrition and Population-Early Child and Children's Health Health; Nutrition and Population-Food & Nutrition Policy Health; Nutrition and Population-Health Policy and Management Health; Nutrition and Population-Health and Poverty Social Protections and Labor-Social Protections & Assistance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4648-0323-9
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

Downloads: (external link)
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstreams/ee3 ... 01557f34114/download (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wbk:wbpubs:21287

Access Statistics for this book

More books in World Bank Publications - Books from The World Bank Group 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20433. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Tal Ayalon ().