Lesson 1 Introduction
Children heath is fundamental in every society, therefore it is important to preserve and enhance it.
Unfortunately, there are many health challenges for children like communicable and non-communicable diseases, nutritional issues, alongside with mental and behavioural problems. All these issues should be addressed since they act as impediments for children’s wellbeing and development.
We should note that more than half of children’s deaths are due to conditions that could be prevented or treated before having a fatal outcome.
Find out children’s mortality rate in various countries
Children that grow up in marginalised population like migrant or low SES families, have to deal with more struggles in their everyday life, therefore they are more prone to certain diseases.
Risk factors for children’s health
Children in migrant/refugee families:
Children in low SES families:
- Limited access to health and dental care
- Health disparities in the country of origin (e.g. lack of antenatal screening)
- Chronic infectious agents
- Food insecurity
- Experience of violence and trauma (e.g. war, exploitation, separation from family)
- Food insecurity
- Infectious disorders during journey
- Acute injuries
- Exposure at sea
- Parent-child separation
- Experience of violence, exploitation, imprisonment
- Lack of health and dental care
- Barriers to accessing healthcare facilities (e.g. unfamiliarity with the health system)
- Barriers to accessing education
- Social isolation
- Daily stressors and struggles(e.g economic instability, unstable housing)
- Mental health problems of caregivers
- Limited access to healthcare facilities
- Reduced opportunity in preventing complications
- Unhealthy living conditions
- Higher levels of risk behaviour
- Lower family literacy level
- Daily stressors (e.g. economic struggle)
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