3 May 2021
Health inequalities start early, in pregnancy, infancy and early childhood, and social determinants of health – poverty, insecurity, discrimination, homelessness, inadequate housing, lack of education – play a major role. For example, an estimated 500,000 women in the EU go through their first months of pregnancy with no access to health services. Women from migrant, refugee, and Roma communities and women living in poverty are particularly at risk. While infant mortality has decreased significantly in the European Union, some communities continue to be disproportionately affected, with higher infant mortality rates among Roma children in several countries.
The period between pregnancy and the first three years of life provides the foundation for optimum health, growth, and neuro, cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical development across the lifespan. That is why the Campaign focuses on prioritising children from birth to 6 years, with special attention to the first 1,000 days.
If adopted by Member States, the Child Guarantee has the potential to be life-changing for families and children and to be a key instrument to tackle child health inequality…
Read the full blog by Giorgiana Rosa, Advocacy Consultant, on The European Public Health Alliance’s website
