Focus on children's digestive health
Wednesday June 1st, 2016
Europe needs to pay attention to the "digestive health" of its children, senior paediatricians have warned.
The report, 'Paediatric Digestive Health Across Europe', was commissioned by United European Gastroenterology, an organisation combining all the leading European societies concerned with digestive health.
It shows "alarming trends in disease incidence and inequalities in the provision of digestive health care services for children across Europe", warn the authors, led by Professor Michael Manns, President of the organisation.
The report outlines three particular areas of digestive health that require urgent action: overweight and obesity among children which has now reached about 33%, childhood onset inflammatory bowel disease, and childhood onset non-alcoholic fatty liver disease which is sometimes seen in children as young as three years old.
Professor Manns says: "Across Europe we have leading paediatric experts and many centres of excellence. However, these are not widespread and currently cannot meet the needs of children throughout the continent.
"This has an impact on not just individuals and their families but on society and wider health service provision".
Co-author of the report, Professor Berthold Koletzko, adds: "It is important for stakeholders and policy makers to appreciate that children have complex physical, psychological and social needs and these must be met by trained paediatric specialists to improve the accessibility of optimal care for children today and in future generations."
A six point action plan is laid out. It includes further development of national strategies for education, prevention and early intervention; improvements to training via a "pan-European digestive health syllabus"; greater paediatric subspecialty training; and better transition services for patients moving from teenage to adult care.
The report was issued to European policy makers yesterday (31 May) at a meeting held at the European Parliament.
Tags: Child Health | Europe | Gastroenterology
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