BIOETYKA / WPROWADZENIE

BIOETYKA / WPROWADZENIE - Przeglądy aktów prawnych

Investing in children: the European child and adolescent health strategy 2015–2020

Aims and objectives

11. The aims of the renewed strategy are to:

• enable children and adolescents in the WHO European Region to realize their full potential for health, development and well-being; and
• reduce their burden of avoidable disease and mortality.

12. Countries will set their own objectives to meet their specific needs. The general objectives are to:

• promote governance, partnerships and intersectoral action at all levels of society;
• strengthen people-centred health systems and public health capacity to improve child and adolescent health and development; and
• address social determinants of health and the equality gap for children, adolescents, parents and caregivers.

Guiding principles

13. It is recommended that countries that are revising and developing child and adolescent health strategies include the following guiding principles in their formulations:

• adopting a life-course approach
• adopting an evidence-informed approach
• promoting strong partnerships and intersectoral collaboration
• adopting a rights-based approach.

Adopting a life-course approach

14. A life-course approach is not simply taking a longitudinal view. It is based on the recognition that adult health and illness are rooted in health and experiences in previous stage of the life-course and it systematically reflects economic, social, environmental, biomedical and other relevant factors that influence health.

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Adopting an evidence-informed approach

16. The strategy is based on available evidence for the development of policy responses and prioritization of population groups and actions. Significant new evidence on issues such as lifecourse epidemiology, child and adolescent health and inequalities is reflected, in relation to:

• prenatal development, directly linked to parents’ health, behaviour and environments;
• supporting early childhood development, giving prominence but not exclusive focus to children aged 0–3 years;
• the health-related capability, capacity, competence and confidence of children, adolescents and families;
• early prevention of maltreatment and adversity;
• use of pre-schools and schools as target settings for health promotion and education through whole-of-school approaches;
• vulnerable groups, such as orphaned children, Roma and migrants;
• andorientation of health services towards promotion, protection and prevention.

Promoting strong partnerships and intersectoral collaboration

19. Health is a multifaceted issue that is frequently determined by factors beyond the immediate purview of the health sector. While the health sector has a pivotal role in direct provision and cross-sectoral coordination, it cannot be successful on its own.

20. All governments use legislative and regulatory measures to protect their citizens and public health is affected by many of these measures. Food and agricultural policy, for example, plays an important role in determining food supply. Food production, fortification and preparation techniques affect the levels of fat, sugar, salt and micronutrients in diets. Transport policy influences vehicle design, emissions and environmental impacts, even by default. Enhanced safety regulations in the manufacturing sector and city and town planning combine to prevent accidents. School education policy has a key role in reinforcing social norms, citizenship and the development of young people’s knowledge and skills. Fiscal policy can result in application of subsidies, incentives, penalties and levies in ways that benefit children’s and adolescents’ health and development. Policies on environmental factors such as water supplies and hazardous chemicals influence the health of children and adolescents.

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Adopting a rights-based approach

23. As human rights become better respected, they become more effective in helping governments to strengthen their health systems, deliver health care for all and improve health.

24. Experience has shown that the participation of children and adolescents is crucial to the successful development and implementation of strategies, policies and services. Participation must be genuine, not tokenistic, with true engagement. Mechanisms exist for soliciting children’s and adolescents’ views and securing their involvement, including members of hard-to-reach and disadvantaged groups.

25. Countries can use their child and adolescent health and development strategies to promote systematic application of human rights standards, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This will ensure a more conducive, enabling legal and policy environment for child and adolescent health and secure more equitable access to good-quality health services for children, adolescents and their families.