Pediatrics (01/21/25) Zajac, Lauren; Landrigan, Philip J.
An updated American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement from the Council on Environmental Health and Climate Change features guidance for pediatricians, healthcare organizations, and governments for how to address environmental issues that affect global pediatric health, including among children who move to the United States from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The policy statement and accompanying technical report aims to provide pediatricians and pediatric trainees with an overview of the issues, including key environmental issues in global pediatric health; strategies and resources to recognize, diagnose, manage, and prevent disease in children caused by hazardous environmental exposures in LMICs; opportunities for increased education and training on environmental health issues for pediatricians and other pediatric health professionals; roles of the pediatricians and other clinicians practicing in the United States and LMICs in the prevention of environmental exposures and the diseases that they cause; and roles of governmental and nongovernmental organizations to increase resources and capacity to address children's environmental health. One of the recommendations is for pediatric organizations to provide more environmental health and climate change-related content for continuing medical education and maintenance of certification credits and in certification and recertification exams. "Broadly," the statement authors write, "it is important that governments and international agencies increase resources directed to pollution prevention, strengthen the environmental health workforce, and expand public health infrastructure in all countries."
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