Berlin Medical Association: Focus on children's health
20.09.2022 12:20
On the occasion of World Children's Day on September 20th, the Berlin Medical Association is calling for more attention to be paid to health promotion and prevention among children. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased inequalities in health and development opportunities - this must now be counteracted.
Various studies show that the quality of life and health of children have deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Common consequences include weight gain, an increase in anxiety and eating disorders, a lack of exercise and the increase in risky use of social media. According to the studies, children with low socioeconomic status, migrant backgrounds and limited living space are particularly affected. “Overall, the pandemic acts as an amplifier of pre-existing inequalities in the health, education, participation and development opportunities of children and young people,” explains PD Dr. med. Peter Bobbert, President of the Berlin Medical Association.
On the occasion of World Children's Day on September 20th, the Berlin Medical Association is calling for this development to be counteracted. The Berlin Medical Association also considers it problematic that the important school entrance examinations, which can detect deficits in child development at an early stage, often did not take place during the pandemic. Needs for support may have been overlooked as a result. “We have to be careful not to lose sight of an entire generation. Motor deficits, obesity or problems reading and writing are usually disadvantages that last a lifetime,” emphasizes Dr. med. Matthias Blöchle, Vice President of the Berlin Medical Association. It is therefore important to intervene in good time.
“Health promotion and prevention start with the little ones. But during the pandemic, this is exactly what has fallen behind,” emphasizes Bobbert. The Berlin Medical Association therefore urgently advises parents to take advantage of all statutory preventive examinations for their children. Health examinations for children and young people are defined as statutory health insurance services in Section 26 SGB V. However, the examinations U 10 and U 11 and J 2 are not included and are only financed by some health insurance companies. “This important support for children and young people on their way to adulthood should be covered by all health insurance companies,” says Bobbert.
The chamber itself has been supporting several projects for many years that are dedicated to prevention among children and young people, such as the Berlin “State program for moving daycare centers - for good, healthy daycare centers”, “Class2000 - Strong and healthy in primary schools” or the “ Female Doctor Information Hour” from the Medical Society for Health Promotion. V. The Berlin Medical Association also supports projects that are aimed at combating domestic violence. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the risk to children's well-being due to neglect, psychological abuse and violence in 2021 reached its highest level since the statistics were introduced in 2012. The Berlin Medical Association is actively involved in the “Berlin Round Table – Health Care for Domestic and Sexual Violence”, supports several child protection clinics in Berlin and offers further medical training on the topic of “domestic violence”.
World Children's Day draws attention to stress on children
World Children's Day takes place every year on September 20th. The day of action dates back to September 20, 1989, on which the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations, and is celebrated in 145 countries around the world. It is a reminder that many children do not have the privilege of experiencing a carefree childhood due to various factors. These factors include poverty, wars and conflicts, but also psychosocial fears, health restrictions or pressure to perform. This year's World Children's Day takes place under the motto “Together for children's rights”. The focus is on, among other things, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also other current crises such as the war in Ukraine and climate change, which are putting a strain on the lives of children and young people.