The world’s leading independent general medical journal the Lancet started “The Lancet 2020 Campaign on child and adolescent health” with the aim to reiterate the centrality of child survival and wellbeing in global development.
Several initiatives have been proposed to achieve this goal.
In February, a new WHO–UNICEF Lancet Commission put children firmly at the centre of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the hope to kick-start a new global movement. Global Burden of Disease papers will provide new data to monitor progress.
A Commission on Women, Children, and Adolescent Health in China will place a spotlight on a country where many children and adolescents live and a rapid transition of determinants of health and the health-care system is happening. A Series on physical activities will include new findings and recommendations for adolescents and further Series will aim to unify the fields of maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health around the goal of a lifelong attention to health and equity achieved through intersectoral collaboration. Moreover, the specialty journals have plans to publish Commissions on institutionalised children, paediatric cancer care, youth mental health services, and pain control in children.
A special communications strategy was designed to support the campaign and facilitate partnership with as many other communities as possible. The aim is to engage and galvanise political leaders, policy makers, non-governmental organisations, researchers and clinicians, funders and responsible commercial organisations, the whole society and children and young people themselves.
The journal editorial launching the Campaign and available at this link.
If you are interested, you can find out how to join the Campaign by clicking here.