Generation debt: From crisis to opportunity for Africa’s youngest children
This research reveals how debt relief represents one of the most powerful tools available for changing the trajectory of Africa’s children. With the continent’s debt burden reaching $1.15 trillion and annual interest payments of $119 billion, millions of children are being robbed of their right to thrive.
Our analysis demonstrates that redirecting just 3% of GDP from debt service to early childhood development could unlock transformational change. Universal child benefits alone could lift 166 million people out of extreme poverty, whilst increased health spending could save 640,000 infant lives and 3.5 million under-5 lives annually. With South Africa’s historic G20 Presidency creating an unprecedented opportunity, the youngest children bear the highest cost of inaction.
