Dr Jelena Zajeganovic Jakovljevic is a Health and Early Childhood Development Specialist at UNICEF Serbia, with extensive professional experience in maternal and child health, early childhood development, parenting support, and improving healthcare services for children and families.

In her work at UNICEF, she is involved in the development and implementation of programmes aimed at strengthening primary healthcare, improving home visiting nursing services, promoting early childhood development, and empowering parents to provide nurturing care.

Her work particularly focuses on developing family-centred early intervention services for children with developmental difficulties and disabilities, strengthening developmental counselling services, and promoting cooperation between the health, education, and social protection sectors.

She contributes to UNICEF initiatives aimed at strengthening parenting support and improving services for families with young children, including the promotion of nurturing parenting practices, early identification of developmental risks, and access to professional support within local communities.

She is a co-author of UNICEF’s publication Nurturing Care for Healthier Futures, which focuses on improving primary healthcare practices for families with young children. She also contributed to a joint World Bank–UNICEF report on improving the effectiveness, equity, and resilience of Serbia’s healthcare system.