Angelica Ponguta, MPH, PhD, Associate Research Scientist in the Yale Child Study Center and ECPC affiliate, gives the keynote address at the first National Conference on Human Development. In her keynote, Dr. Ponguta:

• presents a framework to define early childhood development (ECD) from a global perspective, 
• introduces evidence-based programmatic approaches that are key to promoting the developmental potential of children, and
• discusses systems-level strategies to strengthen ECD at scale. 

​41:50 Eng

Also, available in Arabic and French.

About the conference

HM King Mohammed VI of Morocco launched the 3rd phase of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) (2019 - 2023), which provides a framework for the country to address key constraints to human development.

On 18 September 2019, the INDH launched the first yearly Human Development Conference in Skhirat, under the theme “Early childhood: A commitment for the future”. The purpose of the conference was to inform over 500 stakeholders from across the Kingdom including government representatives from around the country, as well as actors from academia, the private and civil society sectors, on the importance of early childhood development (ECD). 

Read the full text of the Royal Speech read by the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Abdelouafi Laftit, who on behlf of HM, underscores that “The aim is to rise to the challenge of early childhood – which is a crucial stage in a person’s life – and to make sure our children are open to the future in a balanced environment where justice and equity prevail, and where poverty and social exclusion do not stand in the way.”

Other contributors and speakers included Ministerial Delegates from Morocco, as well as we international leaders from the World Bank, UNICEF and ECD experts from Senegal and other countries in the region.

Please visit Dr. Ponguta at the Yale Child Study Center to learn more about her work that centers on the advancement of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in low and middle-income countries with a focus on policy research, program evaluation, and advocacy.