The world's forgotten children

Abstract

Your Editorial (Jan 4, p 1)1Editorial The world's forgotten children.Lancet. 2003; 361: 1Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (20) Google Scholar appeared on the inaugural day of a paediatric conference at a five-star hotel in Mumbai, India, at which 5000 delegates attended to discuss such issues as malnutrition, sepsis, and HIV in Indian children.Although this event sounds encouraging, the administrators and ministers who draw up the various health policies at such meetings are residents of metropolitan areas and big cities, and are not aware of the real problems that exist in rural areas. 67 per 1000 children die from infectious diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, HIV-related diseases, and scabies. But susceptibility to such infections is caused by depressed immunity due to malnutrition and unhygienic conditions in rural and slum areas. Deaths attributed to infectious diseases are diverting the public's attention away from the root cause: malnutrition and starvation. The combination of dietary deficiency and insanitary living conditions is also linked to growth disorders.Illiteracy is one of the major reasons for malnutrition, and the subsequent morbidity and mortality runs from generation to generation, especially in migrating communities such as those of sugar-cane labourers, shepherds, and paradhi.Apart from the above common health problems, pollution, lead poisoning, and envenomation by scorpions and snakes are often faced by rural children. The resulting high fatality rates remain largely unnoticed and neglected by the medical profession.2Bawaskar HS Bawaskar PH Envenoming by scorpions and snakes: their neurotoxins and therapeutics.Trop Doct. 2000; 30: 23-25PubMed Google ScholarThere is no hope of improving the real scenario in India, whatever the funds received from national and international authorities, unless there is 100% literacy, dedicated medical and social organisations, and health ministers like Argentina's Ginés González García, who declared that he felt “ashamed” about malnutrition in his country.3Igesias-Rogers G Minister “ashamed” at malnutrition in Argentina.Lancet. 2002; 360: 2058Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (3) Google Scholar Your Editorial (Jan 4, p 1)1Editorial The world's forgotten children.Lancet. 2003; 361: 1Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (20) Google Scholar appeared on the inaugural day of a paediatric conference at a five-star hotel in Mumbai, India, at which 5000 delegates attended to discuss such issues as malnutrition, sepsis, and HIV in Indian children. Although this event sounds encouraging, the administrators and ministers who draw up the various health policies at such meetings are residents of metropolitan areas and big cities, and are not aware of the real problems that exist in rural areas. 67 per 1000 children die from infectious diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, HIV-related diseases, and scabies. But susceptibility to such infections is caused by depressed immunity due to malnutrition and unhygienic conditions in rural and slum areas. Deaths attributed to infectious diseases are diverting the public's attention away from the root cause: malnutrition and starvation. The combination of dietary deficiency and insanitary living conditions is also linked to growth disorders. Illiteracy is one of the major reasons for malnutrition, and the subsequent morbidity and mortality runs from generation to generation, especially in migrating communities such as those of sugar-cane labourers, shepherds, and paradhi. Apart from the above common health problems, pollution, lead poisoning, and envenomation by scorpions and snakes are often faced by rural children. The resulting high fatality rates remain largely unnoticed and neglected by the medical profession.2Bawaskar HS Bawaskar PH Envenoming by scorpions and snakes: their neurotoxins and therapeutics.Trop Doct. 2000; 30: 23-25PubMed Google Scholar There is no hope of improving the real scenario in India, whatever the funds received from national and international authorities, unless there is 100% literacy, dedicated medical and social organisations, and health ministers like Argentina's Ginés González García, who declared that he felt “ashamed” about malnutrition in his country.3Igesias-Rogers G Minister “ashamed” at malnutrition in Argentina.Lancet. 2002; 360: 2058Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (3) Google Scholar