European Strategy for Child and Adolescent Health and Development [antikvár]

IntroductionWhy children and adolescents?1.Children are our investment in tomorrow's society. Their health and the way in which wenurture them through adolescence into adulthood will affect the prosperity and stability of countries inthe European Region over the coming decades.2.Good health from prenatal life to adolescence is a resource for social and economicdevelopment. The converse is also true. The burden of ill health and impaired development in childrenhas a multitude of effects. Unwell children make additional demands upon their parents and can havean impact upon the family's earning potential. This can lead to detrimental consequences for theirsiblings. There is also a cost to the health and welfare systems, sometimes stretching well into adultlife. Poor cognitive and social development can create a lifetime of disadvantage, the legacy of whichis frequently transferred to future generations.3.The rationale for investing in children and adolescents is threefold.We have a moral and legal obligation to protect and promote the rights of children andadolescents as embodied in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.Such investment will lead to the establishment of a healthier society in future years, along withthe consequent social, community and individual benefits. This complements the globalcommitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.It will promote economic development and sustainability, as interventions will be targeted at themost appropriate stages in the development of the child. This life-course approach will lead tothe most efficient and effective use of resources.4.In general, children in the European Region today benefit from better nutrition, health anddevelopment than ever before. Infant and child mortality rates in some European countries are thelowest in the world. However, there are striking inequalities across the 52 countries in the Region inhealth status and in access to health services, with over ten-fold differences in infant and childmortality rates. Inequalities are also growing within countries. This can be seen in particular in thenumber of families with children for whom access to quality health services, information, education,decent housing and adequate nutrition continues to be problematic. Women and children are over-represented among the poor in every country. Disadvantaged and marginalized groups are particularlyat risk. Inequities in health and in access to health care between different groups are socially divisiveand contribute to social instability.5.Emerging threats during late childhood and adolescence, such as obesity, and psychosocial andmental health problems, coexist in the Region with malnutrition, perinatal problems and infectiousdiseases. The incidence of HIV/AEDS among young people is increasing in several countries, andinjuries and violence pose a threat to children and adolescents in all countries. There is growingconcern about the short- and long-term consequences of polluted and unsafe environments, as well asof unhealthy lifestyles.6.Member States need to commit themselves to taking more sustained action to improve thehealth of their young people and to reduce inequalities. In so doing, governments will fulfil theirobligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Since the health and development ofchildren and adolescents is relevant to all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), improving thehealth of young people will help the countries in the European Region meet their MDG obligations.