Title:	Climate Change and Rural Child Health
Authors:	ERICA BELL BASTIAN M. SEIDEL AND JOAV MERRICK
Keywords:	Medical climatology
Issue Date:	2011
Publisher:	Nova Science
Description:	There can be no surer indicator of a society's wellbeing than the health of its children. As a child-focused development agency, World Vision works with poor rural communities in every region of the world. Over the past 60 years, the world has seen gradual and hard-won progress in reducing child mortality and improving the lives of opportunities of children. Some of this is attributable to medical science, much of it to simple but effective public health measures. Even though 24,000 children continue to die each day from preventable causes, this represents a dramatic improvement, and progress continues to be made. In 2000 the world's leaders agreed to the Millennium Development Goals - a real plan, with measurable targets, to combat poverty and address the world's most critical development concerns. While the goals are far from perfect, they have succeeded in creating focus and accountability in driving policy and resources towards real improvements in health, education and living standards. Critically, goals 4 and 5 recognise the importance of child health, which is inextricably linked to the health and wellbeing of mothers. Climate change threatens to undo all of this progress, and wipe out the gains of decades. We are already seeing evidence that disastrous weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense. The catastrophic flooding that hit Pakistan in 2010, for example, has displaced millions of people. Just the year before, neighbouring India experienced the worst drought in 40 years, causing immense suffering to farming communities across the country. The threat of rising sea levels, the potential loss of productive farmland and the potential threat to water supplies are all profound concerns, and threaten the wellbeing of children and communities around the world. In these circumstances citizens and especially leaders need to be reminded of the connection between climate action and the future of children's health. We need the best knowledge base, the best thinking, and real commitment to mitigation and adaptation measures. In this endeavour scientists, social scientists, political and community leaders, educators, health workers and ordinary citizens all need to play their part. This collection brings together some important contributions from a wide range of individuals working across these fields. The editors and all the contributors are to be commended and I urge and pray that this book will be widely read and its lessons applied.
URI:	http://10.6.20.12:80/handle/123456789/46617
ISBN:	978-1-61209-014-6
Appears in Collections:	Rural Development Studies

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