Abstract
BackgroundEarly childhood development (ECD) is a critical stage in children's lives, influencing future development and social integration. ECD research among children with disability and developmental delay in low‐ and middle‐income countries is limited but crucial to inform planning and delivery of inclusive services. This study is the first to measure and compare the prevalence of disability and developmental delay among children attending preschool centres in rural Malawi.MethodsA cross‐sectional survey was conducted in 48 preschool centres in Thyolo district, Malawi. Data were collected from parents or guardians of 20 children per centre. Disability was ascertained using the Washington Group/UNICEF Child Functioning Module. Child development was measured using the language and social domains of the Malawi Development Assessment Tool.ResultsA total of 960 children were enrolled; 935 (97.4%) children were assessed for disability and 933 (97.2%) for developmental delay; 100 (10.7%) children were identified as having a disability. The prevalence of disability was higher among children 5+ years (n = 60; 29.3%) than children 2–4 years (n = 40; 5.5%); 109 of 933 (11.7%) children were classified as having developmental delay, 41 (4.4%) in “language” and 77 (8·3%) in “social” domains.ConclusionsThis study found that disability and developmental delays are common among preschool children in Malawi. It is one of the first to measure disability and delay among children in a preschool setting in Africa.
Highlights
Childhood development (ECD) is a critical stage in children's lives, influencing future development and social integration
This paper reports the results of a survey that measured the prevalence of disability and developmental delay in children aged 2 years and over attending preschool community-based childcare centres (CBCCs) in Thyolo district in rural Malawi
Having a disability was strongly associated with having a developmental delay; children with disabilities were 4.8 times more likely to have a developmental delay than children without disabilities
Summary
Little data exists from lowincome settings on the prevalence, causes, or interventions needed to support children with disabilities and developmental delays, hindering effective responses and evidence-based policy making (Olusanya, 2011). Childhood development (ECD), defined as the time from prenatal period to 8 years of age, is a vital stage of an individual's physical, emotional, and intellectual development (WHO/UNICEF, 2012). There is growing evidence that children who receive high-quality early years interventions gain a wide range of skills, helping them to succeed later in formal education and reducing the risk of long-term disability-related consequences, increased poverty, and marginalization (Mizunoya et al, 2018). This paper reports the results of a survey that measured the prevalence of disability and developmental delay in children aged 2 years and over attending preschool community-based childcare centres (CBCCs) in Thyolo district in rural Malawi
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