Experts applaud South Africa's new strategy for children, urging action on mental health

The South African government has unveiled its National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC), garnering praise from child rights organisations, health experts and advocates for early childhood development. While lauding the framework for providing a roadmap to enhance children's wellbeing, experts stressed its success hinges on proper implementation, consistent funding and better integration of children's mental health and climate resilience into government programmes.

The NSAC aims to reduce child poverty and malnutrition, improve maternal and child health, bolster early childhood development, curb violence against children and foster adolescent wellbeing. Although South Africa has made strides in child welfare since 1994, the NSAC acknowledges these gains are threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic and a tight fiscal situation.

The strategy calls for a "whole-of-government and whole-of-society" approach, involving government bodies, civil society, labour, business and communities to improve children's outcomes.

However, implementation remains a concern. While the strategy recognises mental health through commitments to developmental screening, referral pathways and integrated health services for children and adolescents, child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Alicia Porter urged stronger emphasis on psychological wellbeing throughout the framework.

She advocated a shift from asking "What's wrong with this child?" to "What is this child trying to tell us?" Porter also proposed monitoring children's behavioural and emotional wellbeing alongside physical health indicators.