International Day of the African Child: Schistosomiasis and the Challenge to Early Childhood Development​

Over the past two decades, Africa has made remarkable gains in early childhood health: under‑five mortality has fallen by more than 50%, and access to essential services has expanded across many countries. Yet millions of young children still face preventable threats that undermine their development, with schistosomiasis remaining one of the most persistent and overlooked.

Marking the International Day of the African Child, this webinar offers a concise overview of how schistosomiasis affects early childhood development and what can be done to mitigate its impact. The session draws on emerging research and real‑world program insights to explore actionable strategies to strengthen prevention and care for the youngest and most vulnerable populations across endemic African regions where schistosomiasis continues to erode health, learning and long‑term potential.

• Dr Beatrice Greco (Head of Access, Global Health at Merck)

• Dr Ida Marie Ameda (Malaria and NTD Global Technical Lead, UNICEF)

• Dr Paul Erasto Kazyoba (Chief Research Scientist, National Institute for Medical Research NIMR, Tanzania)

• Dr Wendy E Harrison (Chief Executive Officer, Unlimit Health)