Since the launch of the first comprehensive global health agenda in 2000 under the Millennium Development Goals, the dearth of population data had hampered global policy, investment, and interventions for children with disabilities.  For policy makers, no data mean no problem, which translates into no action. As part of the concerted efforts by stakeholders to address this gap within the framework of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2015–30, UNICEF, in 2021, published a landmark report on the state of the world's children with disabilities.  The report was intended to provide authoritative data on the global prevalence of disabilities in children aged 17 years or younger and to draw attention to the living experiences of these invisible children and their families. Estimates based on data from household surveys of parent-reported functional difficulties indicate that almost 240 million (one in ten) children and adolescents have moderate-to-severe disabilities globally, including 29 million children aged 0–4 years.  Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study suggest that around 50 million (one in 12) children younger than 5 years have mild-to-severe disabilities requiring some form of intervention. ,  

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) recognises the rights of a child with disability to a full and decent life of dignity, self-reliance, and active participation in the society for the fullest possible social integration. However, childhood disability is still neglected, stigmatised, and associated with discrimination and isolation, and places considerable emotional and financial burden on families. The absence of services for early detection and appropriate intervention including financial support in many communities, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), ,    often invokes a sense of helplessness and hopelessness for parents about the uncertain future that awaits their child. According to UNICEF, children with disabilities have worse outcomes than children without disabilities in key measures of early childhood care, health, and development as well as educational attainment.  For example, children with disabilities are 42% less likely to have foundational reading and numeracy skills, 49% more likely to have never attended school, 47% more likely to be out of primary school (children aged 6–11 years), 41% more likely to experience discrimination, and 20% less likely to have expectations of a better life.  These data suggest an urgent need for a robust global response to address the many avoidable health, educational, and social inequalities faced by children with disabilities and their families.

Investments to build local capacity in national health and educational systems to deliver early detection and intervention services for children with disabilities from early childhood offer pathways to wellbeing, optimal developmental outcomes, inclusive education, economic empowerment, financial independence, and the opportunity to become productive members of society.  The provisions of the SDGs (4.2) for school readiness in early childhood towards equitable, inclusive, and quality education already present unequivocal political support to justify such investments as a priority for all countries. Development Assistance for Health (DAH; financial and in-kind contributions) is the major source of funding in global child health.  Since 2015, an average of US$8 billion annually has been expended on neonatal and child health services in LMICs representing about 20% of total DAH ($40 billion) in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Understandably, these investments have so far been devoted entirely to strengthening the capacity of health systems to meet global targets for reducing child mortality. However, despite these substantial investments, health systems in many LMICs are still ill-equipped to support the needs of children with disabilities due to the scarcity of requisite facilities and qualified health-care professionals to deliver services.  In April, 2022, the World Bank Group (WBG) launched the Childcare Incentive Fund in partnership with the governments of Australia, Canada, and the USA as well as some private donors to promote child development in LMICs.  The US Agency for International Development has committed up to $50 million over 5 years as part of the expected funding pool of at least $180 million. No specific budget was announced for childhood disability. Even at the current level of funding for the care of children (which is less than 3% of annual expenditure on child survival) little or no progress will be achieved by 2030 for children with disabilities.