EPA-UNEPSA JOINS AND STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE IPA STATEMENT ON SAFETY AND HEALTH OF CHILDREN LIVING IN UKRAINE


IPA Statement on Safety and Health of Children Living in Ukraine The International Pediatric Association (IPA) is deeply concerned for the safety and health condition of all children who are suffering and affected due to the war between Ukraine and Russia. We also very concerned for the children for now refugees in neighboring countries. Children are often the innocent victims during armed conflicts. In alignment with the IPA constitution and on behalf of all children, we call on all international communities to take the necessary measures in support of the safety and well-being of children affected by the war in Ukraine. Exposure to war and violent acts adversely affects the life trajectory of children far more than adults. Apart from the potential for loss of live, physical injury and disability, disruption of their daily lives, schooling, parental and family support could lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues. Poor nutrition, insufficient water safety, poor sanitation, loss of housing, limited access to healthcare, increased risk of communicable diseases, with population movement all contribute to impact war have on children. As pediatricians, we are committed to the health and well-being of children from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. By ensuring these rights, only then we can protect children and secure their future. Today in Ukraine, a child may lose his or her live, become injured or disabled, loose a parent or a family member, learning opportunity at school, time to live as a child and play with friends. Their lives will not be the same when the war ends and they will carry the scars of the distress they endured for the rest of their lives. This letter serves as the official position statement and we invite the international community to make every effort for the war to end as soon as possible, in the interest of protecting children's safety, wellbeing, education, and health in Ukraine. We should all strive for fair, equal, and dignified treatment of children. We should protect the rights of children to be protected from harm throughout the fighting, and their safety must be a priority under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In addition, humanitarian supplies including food and medical supplies to the families and children should be ensured as generous and efficient. These actions are imperative to prevent the detrimental effects of war on psychological and physical health over children.

EPA-UNEPSA joins IPA in: working for Every Child, Every Age, Everywhere
Prof. Enver Hasanoğlu President , Prof. Aman Pulungan IPA Executive Director
Massimo Pettoello-Mantovani, President EPA-UNEPSA (IPA Member Society)

“Towards harmonisation of immunisation schedules and development of a vaccination travel document in Europe”

(Working Group)

Across Europe there is considerable harmonisation (approximation) regarding pharmaceutical and other regulations, standards, laws, trade, money and finance, academic standards and education. However, there is no such harmonisation relating to immunisation and immunisation schedules, apart from the European Medicines Agency licensing of vaccines themselves.
In fact, the diversity of European vaccination schedules was noted as early as 1995 in an article by Guérin and Roure entitled “Immunisation schedules in the countries of the European Union”. However, few actions were taken to address such an important topic and vaccine continues to be controversial, as well as vaccination policies and practices vary across time and countries.

A “working group” open to the 50 EPA-UNEPSA member Societies was promoted by the EPA-UNEPSA member societies FIMP(Italy) and Israel Pediatric Society, in order to address these important matters. The working group will first analyze why the existing schedules came into being and how difficult it might (or might not) be to change them. Such analysis will be complemented by a short review of current and changing epidemiology, with an emphasis on the re-emergence of vaccine-preventable infections. In fact, an important issue is also the prioritisation of vaccines: which vaccines are considered essential and which are indicated as nice-to-have. Coupled to this there will be of course the evaluation of the impact of pharmacoeconomics and cost-effectiveness, as well as the immense monetary and human cost arising from reductions in vaccination.

The first aim of the working group will be the proposal of a vaccination travel document (a “passport”) that will help to provide a better monitoring and care for the travelers children in Europe and beyond. Later moving toward the more ambitious mission that is harmonization of immunization schedule in Europe.

The 50 national European Paediatric Societies members of EPA-UNEPSA are kindly invited to join the working group. If you are interested to join the WG, please contact Prof.David Mcintosh at the Imperial College of London, UK (e.mcintosh@imperial.ac.uk), and prof. Eli Somekh, President of the Israeli Association of Pediatrics at the Wolfson Medical Center of Holon, Israel (esomeh@post.tau.ac.il).