Supporting caregivers of children living with disability in a humanitarian context: realist-informed evaluation of the ' programme in Afghanistan.

Introduction: To ensure that humanitarian action is disability-inclusive, evidence is needed to understand how different strategies to support children living with disabilities and their families can work in these settings. Evidence from other contexts suggests support groups can improve caregiver quality of life (QOL). This study reports an evaluation of the ' programme a participatory educational support group programme for caregivers of children living with disability in Kabul province, Afghanistan.

Every Newborn-Reach Up Early Education Intervention for All Children (EN-REACH)- a parent group intervention for school readiness in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Tanzania: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Vulnerable children, including those with neuro-developmental delays and disabilities, often face barriers in accessing early primary education, thus hindering progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4.2. Evidence-based interventions are essential to enhancing inclusivity and establishing sustainable implementation strategies to address this challenge.

Human resources and curricula content for early child development implementation: multicountry mixed methods evaluation.

Objective: The WHO recommends responsive caregiving and early learning (RCEL) interventions to improve early child development (ECD), and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals' vision of a world where all children thrive. Implementation of RCEL programmes in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) requires evidence to inform decisions about human resources and curricula content. We aimed to describe human resources and curricula content for implementation of RCEL projects across diverse LMICs, using data from the Grand Challenges Canada Saving Brains ECD portfolio.

Accountability for funds for Nurturing Care: what can we measure?

Background: Understanding donor, government and out-of-pocket funding for early child development (ECD) is important for tracking progress. We aimed to estimate a baseline for the WHO, UNICEF and World Bank Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) with a special focus on childhood disability.

Methods: To estimate development assistance spending, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's Creditor Reporting System (OECD-CRS) database was searched for 2007-2016, using key words derived from domains of the NCF (good health, nutrition and growth, responsive caregiving, security and safety, and early learning), plus disability.

Rating early child development outcome measurement tools for routine health programme use.

Background: Identification of children at risk of developmental delay and/or impairment requires valid measurement of early child development (ECD). We systematically assess ECD measurement tools for accuracy and feasibility for use in routine services in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC).

Methods: Building on World Bank and peer-reviewed literature reviews, we identified available ECD measurement tools for children aged 0-3 years used in ≥1 LMIC and matrixed these according to (child age) and (ECD domains) they measure at population or individual level.

Counting outcomes, coverage and quality for early child development programmes.

Improved measurement in early child development (ECD) is a strategic focus of the WHO, UNICEF and World Bank Nurturing Care Framework. However, evidence-based approaches to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of ECD projects in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC) are lacking. The Grand Challenges Canada®-funded Saving Brains® ECD portfolio provides a unique opportunity to explore approaches to M&E of ECD programmes across diverse settings.

Contextual design choices and partnerships for scaling early child development programmes.

Translating the Nurturing Care Framework and unprecedented global policy support for early child development (ECD) into action requires evidence-informed guidance about to implement ECD programmes at national and regional scale. We completed a literature review and participatory mixed-method evaluation of projects in Saving Brains®, Grand Challenges Canada® funded ECD portfolio across 23 low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Using an adapted programme cycle, findings from evaluation related to partnerships and leadership, situational analyses, and design for scaling ECD were considered.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes for high-risk neonates in a low-resource setting.

Worldwide, most neonates who survive prematurity and serious illness reside in low-resource settings where developmental outcome data and follow-up care are limited. This study aimed to assess in Fiji, a low-resource Pacific setting, prevalence and risk factors for moderate to severe neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) in early childhood among high-risk neonates compared with controls. Retrospective cohort study comparing long-term outcomes for high-risk neonatal intensive care unit patients (n=149) compared with matched term, normal birth weight neonates (n=147) discharged from Colonial War Memorial Hospital between November 2008 and April 2010.

Reducing newborn mortality in the Asia-Pacific region: Quality hospital services and community-based care.

Improving newborn health and survival is an essential part of progression toward Millennium Development Goal 4 in the World Health Organization Western Pacific and South East Asian regions. Both community and facility-based services are required. Strategies to improve the quality of care provided for newborns in health clinics and district- and referral-level hospitals have been relatively neglected in most countries in the region and in the published literature.