[Child health in our world]

The health of children in poor countries is determined by their nutritional status and by the economic conditions of their families and societies. Socioeconomic differences are correlated with the infant mortality rate (IMR). The decline of the IMR in the industrialized countries mainly occurred before 1960. Programs for Primary Health Care cannot cope with the deterioration of economic problems due to the disadvantaged position of the poor countries in the world market. The typical clinical pattern of diseases in childhood in the tropics is essentially determined by the nutritional status (e.g. measles). The advantages of breastfeeding also relate to the immune response after immunization. The HIV-epidemic requires social assistance for the future of the AIDS-orphans in the first line. Additional assistance is needed for the procurement of medication, otherwise HIV-infected patients are in competition with non-HIV-infected patients.