Transforming Early Childhood and Long-term Care in Africa through Research, Policy and Action

The provision of early childhood and long-term care lies at the core of both social well-being and economic development, yet these forms of care remain persistently undervalued and under-resourced across societies. The International Labour Organization (ILO, 2018) defines the “care economy” as encompassing both unpaid and paid care work across all life stages. It also emphasizes that without adequate recognition, support, and investment in care, gender inequalities will persist.

The burden of care is multi-dimensional, spanning emotional, physical, and economic strains for both unpaid and paid caregivers. Unpaid caregivers often experience time poverty and diminished access to paid employment, while formal care workers face low wages, job insecurity, and limited recognition, conditions that reinforce systemic gender disparities (Barrett et al., 2025). With the growing global demand for both early childhood and long-term care, driven by demographic shifts, urbanization, and changing family structures, there is an urgent need for coherent strategies and policy reforms to build sustainable, equitable, and resilient care systems (ILO, 2018).

The African Population and Health Research Center work on the care economy seeks to nurture and inform the development of transformative care systems in Africa, which embrace the solidarity, and distinctive contexts in the region whilst addressing gender and social inequalities. We focus on care across the life course, perceptions and practices, care infrastructure and services, policies, and programs, in pursuit of improving care outcomes for both care recipients and providers.