WS 05 - Pediatrics & NCDs

NCDs are a major cause of preventable mortality, morbidity and disability amongst children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Many affected children die prematurely because of late diagnosis and/or lack of access to appropriate treatment; those fortunate to survive often experience significant hardship and disability as a result of living with a chronic health condition that is not optimally managed. It is predicted that the global profile of childhood NCDs in LMICs will continue to emerge as infectious conditions are increasingly brought under control. The WHO reported that total deaths from non-communicable diseases are projected to increase by a further 17% over the next 10 years. The impact of a growing trend of NCDs has other secondary impacts upon children. In many LMICs where provision of chronic care is under-developed, children growing up in a family where a parent lives with an NCD are likely to experience major economic and social effects. Children can be expected to act as carers for parents who are unwell, or may be expected to work to bring in an income to the family home. Such examples have gross impacts upon a child’s social and educational development. The emotional impact upon a child growing up with a parent with a chronic condition (particularly if that condition becomes palliative), can also be significant if they are not in receipt of necessary support. In this session, we discuss pediatric NCDs in LMIC settings.