The International Pediatric Association now commits to bringing to its 144 national pediatric societies and 21 regional and international specialty pediatric societies throughout the world the urgency of working at country, regional, and global levels for achievement of indicators pertinent to child health for each of the Eight Millennium Development Goals, and of monitoring progress on a regular basis for the next 10 years 2005 - 2015.
MDG One: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
The International Pediatric Association, working with country level pediatric societies and its experts on nutrition and utilizing new growth standards being developed by the World Health Organization, will:
- Promote monitoring of the proportion of underweight children under five years of age at country and regional levels.
- Promote the WHO Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Nutrition.
- Work with partners to launch a global initiative for treatment and prevention of malnutrition in children.
MDG Two: Achieve universal primary education
The IPA will emphasize elementary school attendance for all girls and boys as an integral component of child health and development and achievement of adolescent literacy as an integral component of adolescent health.
MDG Three: Promote gender equality and empower women
The IPA will emphasize the importance of girls' primary, secondary, and tertiary education as basic components of child health and development, and will emphasize the importance of literacy to health in both adolescent girls and boys.
MDG Four: Reduce child mortality
The IPA and its pediatricians at country level will:
- Work with other stakeholders to address the major causes of underfive mortality and infant mortality.
- Launch a Global Movement of Pediatricians for Newborn Survival and Health.
- Work with other stakeholders to promote cost effective interventions pertinent to the major causes of child mortality: diarrheal disease, pneumonia, vaccine preventable illness, malaria, and HIV/AIDS.
- Work with GAVI, WHO and UNICEF to identify and address barriers to childhood immunization at country level, and make universal immunization a major activity for pediatricians throughout the world.
MDG Five: Improve maternal health
The IPA will:
- Emphasize adolescent girls' health, including reproductive health, as an important factor in maternal health.
- • Work with colleagues in obstetrics and gynecology, midwifery, and nursing to assure that those who attend births are educated in basic newborn care as well as in care of the mother.
MDG Six: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
The IPA will:
- Target prevention of HIV/AIDS in adolescents, both girls and boys, as an integral component of adolescent health programs.
- Emphasize school attendance of HIV orphans as an important component of HIV/AIDS and child health programs.
- Encourage and monitor the availability and use of insecticide treated bed nets for young children and the appropriate use of antimalarials for children in malaria risk areas.
- Conduct country and regional level workshops on the new guidelines for recognition and management of childhood TB, monitor their implementation at country level, and monitor inclusion of children in national TB control programs.
MDG Seven: Ensure environmental sustainability
The IPA will:
- • Conduct regional and country-level educational workshops on children's environmental health for pediatricians and other stakeholders in child health in collaboration with WHO, UNEP, and EPA, and designate country-level focal pediatricians for children's environmental health.
- Incorporate basic sanitation and safe water education into child health programs and advocate for safe and adequate drinking water in elementary schools.
- Promote appreciation of the role of the environment in child health, including the importance of trees and forestation.
MDG Eight: Develop a global partnership for development
The IPA will:
- Include strategies for productive work for youth in adolescent health programs.
- Work with WHO and UNICEF to define and advocate for adequate and appropriate essential medicines for children and work for their availability for children at country level.