Communicable and non-communicable diseases in children: give them some thought.

摘要

This month brings a series of special days of relevance to the Journal: 12 November is World Pneumonia Day, 16 November is World COPD Day and 20 November is Universal Children's Day. These come in the immediate aftermath of the United Nations NCD summit that brought together world leaders to focus on the neglected, but epidemiologically important, problem of non-communicable diseases. Children have been particularly neglected in the global development agenda. The fact that pneumonia continues to take a high toll on children when most of these deaths are easily preventable is a scandal.