African ministers of health have endorsed and pledged to provide children born on the continent “the best start in life.”

The commitment was made on Wednesday during the seventy-sixth session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The health ministers, who endorsed the “Regional Strategy on Advancing Early Childhood Development Outcomes in the WHO African Region (2026–2032),” said the strategy would improve the quality of life and lifespan that children can attain on the continent.

The committee said the new regional strategy would also help children to reach “full developmental potential and preserve the continent’s future health, prosperity and economic growth.”

The pledge would improve and ensure “good nutrition, quality health services, responsive caregiving, opportunities for play and early learning, caregiver support and well-being, and safe, nurturing environments.”

The WHO regional director for Africa, Mohamed Yakub Janabi, stated that the move to support children, both before birth and from earliest life, would result in stronger families, healthier communities and a more prosperous continent.

“Every child born in Africa carries the promise of our future. That future is shaped in the womb, in homes and communities where children receive the care, nutrition, protection and opportunities they need to thrive, supported by responsive health and social systems,” Mr Janabi said.

“By supporting children from the earliest years of life, countries are building stronger families, healthier communities and a more prosperous continent,” he said.

The new regional strategy demanded coordinated action across health, nutrition, social protection, water and sanitation, education, finance and other sectors that could meet the needs of children. 

The ministers also made a commitment to support parents, caregivers and communities, believed to play key role players that help children survive, grow, learn and thrive.