Children's health discussed at WHO meeting

A number of stakeholders in the environment and health sectors are committed to bringing about the necessary environmental changes that would have a positive effect on children's health.

These changes, which would form part of the country's Children's Environment and Health Action Plan, were discussed in detail during a two-day meeting for local stakeholders organised by the World Health Organisation at the Radisson last week.

Representatives from the Health Division, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, Wasteserv, the Malta Transport Authority and the Civil Protection Department were among those who attended.

The need for specific measures that target children's health was brought to light some years ago. WHO Environment and Health Coordination and Partnerships regional adviser Lucienne Licari explained that children are different from adults and need to be treated in a different manner.

"We previously thought of children as little adults. But now we have realised that children are a unique and susceptible population who need special attention," she said.

Dr Licari pointed out that children crawl closer to the ground and are therefore exposed to different risk factors than adults. Children in a pushchair are also at the same level of exhaust fumes being emitted by vehicles.

Moreover, Dr Licari stressed, children are not in control of their own environment. "They cannot walk away from danger, or something else that is harmful, and are entirely dependent on their carers."

She highlighted the importance of taking precautionary measures when there are indications that something might be harmful, but no conclusive results are yet available.

Among the key health problems identified by the stakeholders are obesity and asthma. Dr Licari said some countries had attempted to address these problems by creating "walking buses" for young children. She explained that adults would pick up children from various stops and walk them to school, thus increasing exercise.

Dr Licari said it was promising that the stakeholders recognised that tackling these health problems required multisectorial efforts.

It was decided to set up a Children's Environment and Health Action Plan during a WHO ministerial conference in 2004, which highlighted the need to reduce environmental hazards to which children are exposed. It was also agreed that every country would draw up a plan on how best to do this.

WHO Environment and Health Coordination and Partnerships communications officer Vivienne Taylor Gee said the urgency of the issue was greater since it dealt with children. "There is only one childhood, one chance to grow a healthy brain and one chance to live a healthy childhood," she said.

Dr Licari said Malta was one of the first countries to start working on its plan soon after the ministerial meeting. The country decided to revise its National Environmental Health Action Plan to include child-specific actions.

A draft of the in-depth report, drawn up by the office of the director general of health, was presented to the stakeholders who discussed it during this week's meeting.

"It was also important to bring the stakeholders together so that they realise that they are all in the same boat, and they need to find a way of pulling in the same direction and pooling their human and financial resources," Dr Licari said.

Although the target is to have a draft plan that can be presented during an intergovernmental meeting in June next year, Dr Licari said she would not be surprised if countries have already started implementing their plan.

Asked whether the objectives were achievable, Dr Licari said the stakeholders were being practical in their approach and setting targets that could be reached. But they were also investigating how far they could go without going beyond their limitations.