Promoting child health through a comprehensive One Health perspective: a narrative review

Abstract

Children are increasingly exposed to health risks as a result of adverse effects of climate change, including more frequent and intense extreme weather events, disruption of food systems, an increase in food-, water- and vector-borne diseases, mental health issues, clean water scarcity and zoonoses, and habitat destruction causing “zoonotic spillovers”. To address these emerging and new health risks, a holistic approach is required. Understanding how these risk drivers impact the physiological and mental development of children is a highly complex challenge. Addressing this complexity requires the collaborative development of multi-disciplinary and comprehensive approaches. In addition, factors such as inadequate nutrition that leads to stunting, maternal characteristics (including age, height, pregnancy, and postnatal care), hygiene habits at home, gender disparity, and the financial situation of the household also play crucial roles. This review is prompted by the pressing need to tackle the substantial and diverse health impacts that will affect children throughout the current century. Emphasizing the importance of adopting the One Health approach, this review aims to mitigate these effects and pave the way for a healthier future for the younger generation.