LUSAKA, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Zambian Vice-President Inonge Wina on Wednesday urged leaders in the southern African region for timely intervention to address early childhood education.
The Zambian vice-president said governments in the region stand to lose if they do not invest in children's early years of life.
In a keynote address delivered at a World Bank-sponsored conference on nutrition and early childhood education in Maseru, Lesotho, the Zambian vice-president said the delay by governments to intervene in early childhood education could result in greater damage to numerous lives of children.
Children, she said, must be given the opportunity to survive, thrive and transform into better citizens, according to a statement released by her office.
According to her, the holding of the conference has come at the right time as the region was prioritizing investment development.
She further said Zambia has come up with various programs to secure early childhood nutrition with a view of promoting the personal development of children and economic growth.
Meanwhile, the World Bank says only an integrated approach could help solve the malnutrition problem in the region.
In remarks during the start of the conference, Paul Noumba Um, the World Bank Director for Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, said the bank will help countries in the region address the issue of child nutrition and early childhood education.
