Delays in early child development are known to be high in most developing countries, including Pakistan. Private clinics, being main source of primary health care in poor urban localities, engagement in promoting early child development was considered a plausible approach to offer care in urban localities.

• Location: 2 selected cities in Punjab.
• Activities:
  • Private clinics mapped and selected in the two cities.
  • A doctor and clinic assistant at each selected clinic trained and provided tools for delivering early child development care.
  • About 2,300 newborns and their mothers recruited for early child development and maternal depression care.
  • The registered children and their mothers were followed-up and assessed (when the child got 12 month old) respectively for child development delays and mother depression.
  • The ECD care package was further adapted and piloted at four public health care facilities.
• Outputs:
  • More than 50 staff at private clinics got trained on delivering early child development care.
  • More than 2300 newborns and their mothers received early child development and depression care.
  • Adapted package scaled at public secondary hospitals, through public funding, in all 36 districts of Punjab.