PHA-Exch> NEW UN GUIDELINES TO HELP ASSESS HEALTH OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Vern Weitzel <vern at coombs.anu.edu.au>
crossposted from: "[health-vn discussion group]" health-vn at cairo.anu.edu.au

NEW UN GUIDELINES TO HELP ASSESS HEALTH OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH
New York, Oct 24 2007  9:00AM
Aiming to help parents and policymakers, the United Nations World Health
Organization (WHO) today published the first internationally agreed
classification code for assessing the health of children.

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for
Children and Youth is considered a breakthrough initiative. "For the first
time,
we now have a tool that enables us to track and compare the health of
children
and youth between countries and over time," said Nenad Kostanjsek of WHO's
Measurement and Health Information team.

He said it "will allow countries and the international community to take
informed action to improve children's health, education and rights, by
treating
their health as a function of the environment that adults provide."

The Classification addresses hundreds of bodily functions and structures,
activities and participation, and various environmental factors that
restrict or
allow young people to function in an array of every day activities. WHO said
it
will have has important implications globally for research, standard setting
and
mobilizing resources.

The classification also covers developmental delay, the agency said.
Children
who achieve certain milestones later than their peers may be at increased
risk
of disability.  Using this classification, health practitioners, parents and
teachers can describe these delays precisely in order to plan for health and
educational needs and frame policy debates.

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
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