The Twelve Who Survive: Strengthening Programmes of Early Childhood Development in the Third World

Today, 12 out of every 13 children born will live to celebrate a first birthday. This statistic is expected to improve even further by the year 2000. Still, many international organizations, and some governments, continue to place almost exclusive emphasis on further reducing mortality, with little attention to the development and welfare of the survivors. What will happen to the children who survive? Many of the same living conditions that previously put them at risk to die now put them at risk of impaired physical, mental, social and emotional development in their earliest years. This need not be the case. In "The Twelve Who Survive" Robert Myers argues for greater investment in programmes to improve early childhood care and development in the Third World. He emphasizes the importance of participation amongst governments, non-governmental organizations, and reviews the needs and successes of programmes aimed at enhancing the growth and development of children to help them realise their individual and social potential. This book should be of interest to undergraduates, postgraduates and professionals in development studies, childhood development, and third-world studies.