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Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man. This saying, attributed to both Greek philosopher Aristotle and Ignatius de Loyola, founder of the Jesuit religious order, concerns the significance of the early, formative years in the development of a child. While today’s world is far removed from that of the ancient Greeks, or even the early Jesuits, the words of wisdom remain as valid as ever. If our children are to grow up happy and healthy, the foundation needs to be laid in the early years, although achieving this is far from child’s play. In Australia, the convenience of takeaway food, the illusion of virtual reality gaming, and the promise of social media popularity have replaced healthy cooking, activity-based sports and hanging with real friends. Our children are being given the freedom to embrace these alternatives at an increasingly early age. Unfortunately, if a child is encouraged to develop unhealthy habits and a lazy lifestyle, this can lead to increased risk of physical and mental health issues when the child grows up. There’s a plan Recognising the need for improved health education to protect and support vulnerable young people, federal Health Minister Greg Hunt proposed the establishment of an action plan, ‘Healthy, safe and thriving’, to build on the existing national strategic framework for child and youth health. The result is the government’s ‘National action plan for the health of children and young people: 2020-2030’1, launched in late 2020 as a roadmap for a national approach to improve and ensure the health and wellbeing of all Australian children and young people, providing them with the best start to life. Introducing the plan, Mr Hunt said Australia could be commended as a nation for how it supports and empowers its children and young people. “Children born today are expected to live longer than ever before,” he said. “As a nation, we’ve made significant progress in reducing infant mortality, and we’re seeing our children and young people benefit from increased levels of immunisation and reduced CHILDREN’S HEALTH 45 “Many chronic health problems in adulthood, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and mental health issues have their origins in early childhood.” injuries from accidents. “However, we cannot be complacent. The future of Australia depends on our ability to foster the health and wellbeing of the current generation of children and young people, and increasingly this population group faces new health and wellbeing challenges. “Many chronic health problems in adulthood, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and mental health issues have their origins in early childhood. Furthermore, we now know that the health of a child starts even before birth, with the health of parents – both preconception and during pregnancy – affecting the health of the baby at birth and through their early years.” The plan has been developed to address the typical issues affecting children and their parents during their development years. It includes recommendations on courses and resources for parents and strategies for intervention based on the problems typically experienced during the five key life stages of development: • • • • • Antenatal and infancy. Preschool. Primary. Adolescence and youth. Young adulthood. Drawing on data from the government’s most recent ‘burden of disease’ studies, the plan outlines the leading causes of disease burden in each of these life stages of development. It suggests intervention points and pathways as strategies to mitigate the risks. The clear separation of each key stage of development means those in primary healthcare roles, such as pharmacy, will be able to focus their questions to parents or children on the issues typically experienced at that stage of development. For example, during the primary life stage of development (initial school entry through to the completion of high school), leading causes of disease burden include mental health, substance use disorders, a peak in respiratory diseases, and the emergence of skin disorders. The health intervention focus points and pathways associated with the primary stage include parenting skill development, school-based nutrition, T0 PAGE 46 RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • FEB 2021