纵谈全球儿童健康状况(英文)

Global child health update in 2012

Modern definition of child health evolves over the past six decades from ＂a state of freedom from diseases＂ to ＂a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing＂, further to the now ＂enhancement of attainment of one＇s poten-tial in life＂. This illustrates the concept of health consequent to the good control of infectious and genetic diseases, effective medical care of pregnancy and child delivery, excellent paediatric care in decreasing birth asphyxia and complication of prematurity as well as improving environmental health which we have just started to promote. We are now at a better stage of child survival and can afford to focus on the preventive arena of child health and on the quality of life. The child here includes the age from 0 - 18 years （ representing newborn, childhood and adolescent groups） and health covers the medical, social and educational sectors at home, school and community. It thus fol- lows that the professional team taking care of child health should be transdisciplinary and intersectoral comprising of doctors, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, teachers, social workers, parents and others. Modem child healthcare thus stresses on the intersectoral collaboration and transdisciplinary cooperation of all professionals working together towards the optimum management of the continuum of care, meaning from parents to newborn, then to babies, children, adolescents （both boys and girls） who then become good parents accordingly. This cycle requires healthy components and therefore close cooperation of the professionals together.