Environmental Issues in Global Pediatric Health: Policy Statement.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Pediatric Medicine
• Global Health

Background:

• Children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face high rates of hazardous environmental exposures, including air and water pollution, lead, and pesticides.
• These exposures contribute significantly to disease and mortality in young children, a burden twice as high as in North America.
• Climate change is expected to exacerbate these environmental health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To inform pediatricians and trainees about the significant impact of environmental hazards on children in LMICs.
• To emphasize the need for pediatricians to consider environmental factors in differential diagnoses for children from or working in LMICs.
• To highlight the risks for children who have emigrated from LMICs due to past and ongoing exposures.

Main Methods:

• Review of prevalent environmental hazards in LMICs and their impact on child health.
• Discussion of diagnostic approaches, including environmental screening history and laboratory testing.
• Recommendations for pediatric organizations and policymakers.

Main Results:

• Environmental exposures pose a disproportionately severe threat to children's health in LMICs.
• Children from LMICs, including those who have emigrated, are at elevated risk for toxic environmental diseases.
• Current diagnostic methods may not always identify these diseases due to a lack of unique physical signs.

Conclusions:

• Pediatricians need enhanced knowledge of local environmental threats and diagnostic tools for children in or from LMICs.
• Increased environmental health and climate change education in pediatric training and continuing medical education is recommended.
• Strengthening pollution prevention, environmental health workforces, and public health infrastructure globally is essential.