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)

European HORIZON 2020

European Union’s HORIZON 2020 4 years GRANT
“Safe Food for Infants” awarded to EPA-UNEPSA

EPA-UNEPSA, the Union of National European Pediatric Societies and Associations is pleased to inform you of its recent success and to forward you the related article published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

We are pleased to inform you that EPA-UNEPSA will represent the European pediatricians affiliated to its members Societies, in the Consortium of scientific centers that was recently awarded a €4 million grant dedicated to the important issue of infant food safety. In particular, during the 4 years of the project, EPA-UNEPSA will closely collaborate as a work package leader, with the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, which will coordinate the research activities of the program.
This European Union funded Consortium, has also established a close collaboration with a network of Chinese research centers, which will participate to the common efforts of developing innovative solutions to ensure an effective monitoring of the quality of infant food commercialized in Europe and China.
During the next four years, EPA-UNEPSA will work in close collaboration with its member Societies to contribute to the overall goal of developing an integrated approach to enhance the identification, assessment, detection and mitigation of safety risks raised by microbiological and chemical hazards all along the EU and Chinese infant food chains. Particularly, the project will benchmark the main safety risks through an extensive hazard identification system based on multiple data sources and a risk ranking procedure. It will also develop procedures to enhance top-down and bottom-up hazard control by combining management options with a panel of technologies for the detection and mitigation of priority hazards.

The European Union has great expectations on this project. In fact, although it will focus on infant food (i.e. food for children of less than three years) its cross-cutting nature will allow project outcomes to be transferred to most of the other food sectors!!
EPA-UNEPSA is also in charge of the communication and dissemination of the important achievements that the Consortium will reach during the next four years. This task also cared for by EPA-UNEPSA, will ensure that pediatricians and consumers will be effectively updated about solutions that may significantly contribute to the protection of the European children’s health and wellbeing.
EPA-UNEPSA is proud to represent the European pediatricians in this important project promoted and funded by the European Union. The paper attached includes an overview of the project and provides you with more detailed information.
We are pleased to share with you this new success of EPA- UNEPSA
Best regards,
EPA-UNEPSA Board Members
& Editorial Committee

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