Ten top hot reads provided monthly by our australian colleague Dr Mavis Duncanson

1.    Country-led M&E Systems: Better evidence, better policies, better development results.  A new publication from UNICEF with key points summarised in a powerpoint presentation here.  With a focus on developing countries, many of the lessons are equally applicable in New Zealand and Australia. Evidence based policy making is “an approach that helps people make well informed decisions about policies, programmes and projects by putting the best available evidence at the heart of policy development and implementation.”   Valuable background information for us all.

2.    Minimising medication errors in children Archives of Disease in Childhood 2009;94:161-164.  A review from the UK points out that most studies about medication errors are conducted in adults, and that this is also a significant problem in the paediatric population. The paper reviews the factors contributing to paediatric medication errors, including lack of appropriate paediatric formulations, communication issues between health professionals, dose calculation mistakes and inadequate clinical practice and discusses risk reduction strategies.

Ten top hot reads provided monthly by our australian colleague Dr Mavis Duncanson

• 1. The Child Development Index: Holding governments to account for children's wellbeing was launched by Save the Children just before Christmas, using a globally representative, multi-dimensional tool to monitor and compare the wellbeing of children in more than 140 developed and developing countries. The index is simple, using three easily available and commonly understood indicators that are clearly indicative of child wellbeing:

.under-five mortality rate

.percentage of under fives who are moderately or severely underweight

.percentage of primary school-age children who are not enrolled in school.

The data table is also available as an Excel sheet.  Our region is surprisingly absent - no Pacific/ Oceania region is described.  Australia is included in developed countries, and Fiji in East and South East Asia.  Apart from that exclusion, the report provides up-to-date comparative information for key parts of the world, and reminds us of the persisting inequities for so many children internationally, especially in parts of Africa and Asia.  There would be many Pacific children in similar circumstances if they were included.

• 2. Promotion of children's rights and prevention of child maltreatment The Lancet, 2009 Volume 373, Pages 332-343. One of the articles in the Lancet Child Maltreatment series, this opinion piece shows how a child rights framework can contribute to both public-health and child protection responses to the persistent global issue of child maltreatment. Authors come from several countries, and conclude "The greatest strength of an approach based on the UNCRC is that it provides a legal instrument for implementing policy, accountability, and social justice, all of which enhance public-health responses."

• 3. World report on child injury prevention from WHO and UNICEF was also released late last year. 232 pages of excellent information about the extent and urgency of injury to children internationally. An inspiring blend of addressing upstream determinants and reporting practical and effective community initiatives (e.g. cycle helmets). The focus is on unintentional injury - with reference to other recent international reports that deal with child abuse, youth violence and sexual violence. Not for quick reading, but an excellent resource on injury prevention with a global perspective.

Ten top hot reads provided monthly by australian colleague Dr Mavis Duncanson

• 1. Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health The Lancet. 2008; 372, 1661 - 1669. A summary of the key findings and recommendations of the report in August from the Commission on Social Determinants of Health. You can register with the Lancet and read this full article free of charge. This whole issue of the Lancet has a focus on health equity. The article below particularly relevant for child population health.
• 2. Effects of fully-established Sure Start Local Programmes on 3-year-old children and their families living in England: a quasi-experimental observational study. The Lancet. 2008; 372, 1641 - 1647. A quasi-experimental observational study, comparing 5883 3-year-old children and their families from 93 disadvantaged Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLP) areas with 1879 3-year-old children and their families from 72 similarly deprived areas in England without SSLPs.