The global importance of infantíl health
Health is a state of complete physical, psychic and social well -being of a person and not only the absence of disease. Health and disease form a continuous process, at one of whose extremes there is premature death, often preventable and, in the other is the state of maximum health. In the middle zone of this continuing is the majority of the population, mainly of the adult population. The child population, like the old population, on the other hand, are located further towards the polo of the disease, for reasons of risk, incidence, and prevalence.
Health is important not only because it is a fundamental factor of the good quality of life of the individual person, but, because it is the guarantee of the survival of the species. And it is particularly relevant in the case of children. The living being is born, grows, reproduces and dies. Without a powerful child health, there is no guarantee of reproduction and survival of the species. However, unfortunately child health is not so consolidated, as may seem to us.
As the WHO has established, a child’s risk of death is higher during the first month of life, when safe childbirth and effective neonatal care are essential. Newborn life is fragile. Pre-thermal birth, asphyxiation at birth and, infections, cause most of the newborn deaths.
In the next stage from a month to the age of five, the main causes of child death are pulmonony, diarrhea, malaria, measles and, HIV. Almost four million children die each year within the first month of their birth. Malnutrition contributes to more than half of all children’s deaths. About 20 million children under five years are seriously fed, which makes them more vulnerable to disease and early death. Health is determined by many social factors, in the case of the maternal health of the newborn and childish, such factors are much more important.
In the words of the WHO commission for the study of the Social Determinants of Health (2008), in the case of maternal-child health, they are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and, age. Poverty affects child maternal mortality, through a series of mechanisms: for example;a poor diet and the insecurity of food increase the risk of disease and malnutrition;The poor environmental conditions contribute in turn, to a home, a water supply and very low quality health care;And family poverty reduces the search for health care and, access to information and health services.
Child health is improving, but, there are still serious challenges to achieve global goals that allow us to reduce morbidity and mortality, in this area. Near two thirds of children. Therefore, it is increasing.
Undoubtedly, many countries are making progress in the reduction of mortality and in the increase in actions aimed at covering child health care, in an effective and accelerated way (Countdown report for 2010). However, many other countries are still far from reaching these goals (for example, sub -Saharan Africa countries). There are deep inequalities between countries and within countries in health services and in health results, which should be resolved.
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