Letters

Published: 28/02/2002, Volume II2, No. 5794 Page 23

An important lesson from the MMR debate is the strength of public concern about children's long-term health. Why, with good evidence that we can dramatically reduce children's risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer, may we fail to do so?

There is a yawning gap in policy. Under-16s make up onefifth of the population, yet public health initiatives aimed at the young lack priority and resources. Children's health and its potential are too important to be left to chance. Reducing avoidable chronic disease in adults will be a hollow victory if we ignore the causes in early life and leave the door open for future epidemics. Any effective strategy to reduce health inequalities has to start from the beginning of life.

Children lead increasingly unhealthy lifestyles. Few places are safe from traffic or crime.

Dwindling PE lessons, poor sport and recreational facilities and a monotonous diet of advertisements for foods high in fat, sugar and salt create a 'cardiotoxic' environment.

Figures for smoking show no improvement and are possibly worsening. Obesity is increasing alarmingly. Diabetes is projected to double by 2010.

By age 20, atherosclerosis may be present in one in three young people. Yet we are the first generation to grasp the determinants of our children's health and the means of increasing their health prospects.

Health and wellbeing are at last a component of the government's proposed strategy on children and young people.

The new children's taskforce and national service framework will focus on children's services, including ways to support the healthy child. A huge array of other initiatives across government - such as child poverty reduction, Sure Start and Connexions - are long overdue. The last and only time children's health was formally on the NHS agenda was the Court report in 1974.

The National Heart Forum calls on the government to introduce a national plan for children and young people's health and wellbeing.

NHF, an alliance of over 45 national medical, health and social policy organisations has launched young@heart, recommendations to improve children and young people's health. These are based on research on the early origins of CHD and action needed to ensure every child lives to 65 free from it. We hope it will lead to comprehensive, government-led plans for children's and young people's health.

Paul Lincoln Chief executive National Heart Forum