The World Health Organization-United Nations Children’s Fund Lancet Commission on Child Health and Well-being (Commission) launched its report - calling for renewed commitment to children’s fundamental rights as detailed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
The report recommended for building a better future for children by placing them at the centre of global, regional, and national development agendas, due to the widening of uncertainties with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and issues of climate change effects being felt on populations.
Through a WHO-UNICEF led multi-step collaboration, an additional accountability measure was conceptualized to create a practical and innovative dashboard, developed on the basis of existing frameworks like African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health, Nurturing Care Framework among others.
From 2020 to 2022, various key aspects of the dashboard such as format, domain areas, indicator selection, age categories, and cut-offs were researched and developed. This development was facilitated by international collaboration through the Children in All Policies 2030 (CAP2030, an initiative derived from the Commission) data and learning working group.
The dashboard was designed and developed by WHO, UNICEF and CAP 2030 WG and prototypes were produced that were further refined through feedback and discussion within WHO, UNICEF, CAP 2030 WG including review by WHO regional offices.
The beta version of the dashboard was launched in the first week of May 2022, and will undergo user testing to incorporate best practices to refine the dashboard further – to make a tool that will equip country decision makers, donors and populations with evidence on key areas to target to better realize fundamental child rights.