Join us on Tuesday, March 31, at 10:00 a.m. (Washington, D.C. time) for the event "Measuring What Matters II: Launch of the Portuguese Global Scales for Early Development (GSED)".
This event represents a key milestone in strengthening child development monitoring in the Region of the Americas, through the launch of the GSED package in Portuguese, expanding access to standardized, culturally appropriate, and internationally comparable tools. While the launch has a specific focus on Brazil, the initiative is embedded within the broader regional efforts led by PAHO to promote the systematic measurement of early child development as a critical input for decision-making, policy design, and monitoring of regional and global commitments for early childhood.
In addition, the event aims to foster exchange among countries, increase visibility of the GSED package available in multiple languages, and encourage its progressive adoption by national teams, researchers, and implementing partners, in line with country-specific contexts and priorities.
How to participate
DATE: Tuesday, 31 March, 2026
TIME: 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. (EDT) | 11h00 - 12h30 (Brasilia)
REGISTRATION: https://paho-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TCdu-gA4QnSFi7GAJRemJQ#/registration
LANGUAGES: Interpretation will be available in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Objectives
Increased awareness and accessibility of the GSED Portuguese tools
Strengthened intersectoral dialogue on child development monitoring
Visibility of Brazilian leadership in ECD measurement and research
Support for evidence-based implementation and scale-up of ECD policies and programs
Target audience
Brazilian government counterparts (Ministries of Health and Education, including the Integrated Early Childhood Policy leadership, and other relevant ministries/ECD coordination bodies)
GSED 2.0 principal investigators and research teams
Philanthropic and implementing partners, including the Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal Foundation
Academia, public health professionals, and ECD practitioners
UN agencies and development partners
Background
The Global Scales for Early Development (GSED), developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with global experts, address this gap by providing a validated instrument to measure holistic child development at the population and programmatic levels. The GSED enables countries to generate comparable, high-quality data to support evidence-informed decision-making across sectors.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has led the full translation of the GSED package into Portuguese, ensuring accessibility and usability in Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking contexts. This launch marks the official introduction of the Portuguese GSED package, representing a key step in strengthening ECD monitoring and implementation in Brazil and reinforcing regional commitments to the Nurturing Care Framework and Sustainable Development Goal 4.2.
Agenda
Activity and panelists
Opening remarks
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr., Director, PAHO/WHO
Welcoming remarks
Dr. James Fitzgerald, Director, Health Systems & Services (HSS), PAHO/WHO
The importance of early childhood development and the need for robust measurement
Dr. Tarun Dua, Neurological, Sensory and Oral Conditions Unit, Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, Unit Chief, WHO
Presentation of the GSED Portuguese package: content, use cases, and access
Dr. Paula Caporal, International Consultant, HSS/HL, PAHO/WHO
Research perspectives: GSED 2.0 implementation in Brazil (panel + Q&A)
Moderator: Dr. Pablo Durán. Regional Advisor in Perinatal Health HSS/HL, PAHO/WHO
Panelists:
- Dr. Alexandra Bretani, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo
- Ms. Mariana Chicaro, Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal Foundation
Policy and intersectoral perspectives: integrating GSED into Brazil’s Integrated Early Childhood Policy (panel + Q&A)
Moderator: Ms. Luisete Moraes Bandeira, National Consultant – Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Child and Adolescent Health, PAHO /WHO - BRA
Panelists:
- Ms. Sônia Isoyama Venâncio, General Coordinator for Child, Adolescent and Youth Health Care, Ministry of Health, Brazil
- Mr. Alexsandro do Nascimento Santos, Undersecretary for Integrated National Early Childhood Policy, Ministry of Education (Brazil)
Perspectives from Mozambique
Ms. Néllia Mutisse, Technical Officer, Child, Adolescent Health & Nutrition, AFRO/WHO - MOZ
Reflections and closing remarks
Dr. Suzanne Serruya, Unit Chief, Life Course, Women's and Children's Health