Title: MCH Section Sponsored Sessions at the Annual Meeting
Author:
Section/SPIG: Maternal and Child Health
Issue Date:
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
The MCH Section is sponsoring two invited sessions in addition to the many contributed and poster sessions. A special thanks to Judy Lewis and Dorothy Browne who arranged these sessions.
War as an Environmental Hazard for Women and Children
Monday, Nov. 8, 2004: 8:30-10:00 a.m.
Civil conflicts and wars are both intermittent and chronic in various regions of the world, creating an environment with negative consequences for all affected people but especially women and children. In countries such as Sri Lanka and Sudan, where civil wars have lasted for 20-30 years, the impact on families and communities has been profound. World attention has primarily focused on immediate relief issues and the social and political aspects of war. The health needs of refugees and internally displaced people are beginning to attract concern, creating a focus on the long-term health effects on infrastructure, human development, human rights and long-term reconstruction. A number of studies have also confirmed the impact of war on maternal and child health including indirect mortality and morbidity from infectious diseases, trauma, and loss of sanitation and health care services. This session will look at current conflicts, with an emphasis on services and development principles. This invited session will address recent developments and experiences using data from UN and NGO sources, such as Physicians for Human Rights and the International Centre for Migration and Health. Program interventions addressing gender-based violence, provision of reproductive health services, and rehabilitation of children will be discussed.
Martha May Eliot Session: Obesity in the African American Community -- the Problem, the Science, the Response and the Policy Needs
Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2004: 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
The prevalence of overweight and obese individuals is at epidemic levels in the United States, and this epidemic is particularly high among African Americans. Obesity is of particular concern in the maternal and child health population since it has been linked to prenatal complications, infant mortality and morbidity, and serious pediatric physical and emotional problems. In addition, pediatric obesity has been directly linked with early onset of chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes in adulthood. Environment, especially cultural and ethnic practices, plays an important role in the development of obesity. The purpose of this session will be to identify trends in obesity for the African American maternal and child health community. This forum will feature former Surgeon General David Satcher as well as other experts in the field who will present research and discuss policy options related to this important issue.