Integrated Early Childhood Development Project

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The Integrated Early Childhood Development Project for Eritrea promotes the healthy growth and holistic development of Eritrean children. The project expands access to and improves the quality of services that address young children's basic needs. There are five project components. The first improves child health by providing on-the-job and pre-service training to health workers and caregivers; financing drugs, medical equipment, and supplies and strengthening procurement, storage, and distribution mechanisms; promoting adoption of healthy practices such as breastfeeding and the correct treatment of infections; using environmental health interventions to control childhood illnesses; and improving communications for behavioral change; The second component builds capacities for families and communities for improving the nutritional and health status of children, by reducing micro- and macro-nutrient deficiency and improving food security; and builds capacity within ministries to implement the nutrition component. The third component improves quality and access to early childhood education, and institutional capacity at all administrative levels. The fourth component strengthens the traditional safety nets for child care and protection through community-based reintegration and pycho-social support for orphans. Beside supporting the over-all management of the multi-sectoral program, the fifth component funds advocacy and sensitization campaigns and establishes an innovation fund.