April 27 28, 2018 Taranto, Italy PRESIDENTIAL CONFERENCE 2018 Maternal and Child Health & Peace Presentation RAG HP/HC Concluding Motion Teatro Orfeo - TARANTO
plenary session two PRESIDENTIAL CONFERENCE 2018 Maternal and Child Health & Peace 03.30 pm Round Table Physical - Mental - Social Health moderator: PDG Elio Cerini Past Rotary International Director Prof. Antonio Palmisano Anthropologist - University of Salento PDG Jan Lucas Ket President of Rotarian Action Group Healthy Pregnancies/Healthy Children Prof. Salvatore Colazzo Professor of Experimental Pedagogy, University of Salento - Migration Process Specialist 05.00 pm Teatro Orfeo - TARANTO
PRESIDENTIAL CONFERENCE 2018 Maternal and Child Health & Peace Teatro Orfeo - TARANTO
PRESIDENTIAL CONFERENCE 2018 Maternal and Child Health & Peace Teatro Orfeo - TARANTO
Jan Lucas Ket M.D., pediatrician (ret.) RAG preconception care (prevention) Pediatric aspects of the refugee crisis
Women in their last months of pregnancy and parents with young children do not leave their home or shelter on a dangerous and uncertain voyage without a very good reason: They try to avoid impending destruction
Pregnant women and young children are in the most vulnerable stage of life and may therefore count on our special protection Older children are still vulnerable and should therefore get special protection according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx
Sources of information: UNHCR EUROSTAT Multiple studies about last five years refugee children in Europe, Canada, USA European pediatric survey (2017) Dutch pediatric refugee working group (since 2014) My Cadre visit to Berlin, March 2018
The global population of forcibly displaced persons 1996: 37.3 million 2016: 65.6 million Half of all refugees and asylum seekers are children. Throughout 2016, 1.2 million new refugees and asylum seekers arrived in Europe to bring the total number of refugees living on the continent to just under 4.4 million. 400,000 children claimed asylum in Europe in 2016, 15.9% as unaccompanied minors.
Children should grow and develop, play and learn. For refugee children life goes on: on the flight, in refugee camps and during months or years of uncertainty about their legal status in Europe. Most of them will be an integral part of our European communities for ever. They have the same rights on health care as European citizens.
Health risks of refugee children: Screening and monitoring Vaccination status Epidemiology and health status Cultural and linguistic barriers (Frequent) relocation, change of care givers Their health care needs are often complex
Screening and vaccination differs from European standards and is hampered (missing, shows gaps) through war, conflict and flight: For example: measles epidemic in Berlin
Epidemiology and health status differ from native population: Oral health, anemia, hemoglobinopathy, hepatitis B and C, HIV, latent tuberculosis, parasitic infections, micronutrient deficiencies and mental health problems
Special risks for refugee children with: Uncertain legal status (insurance) Lack of knowledge, literacy of parents Traumatized parents (always) Injury or illness during flight Pre-flight (chronic) disease Developmental disorder or handicap
Guidelines: Stop frequent relocations during the asylum procedure Introduce screening (for anemia, hemoglobinopathy, hepatitis B and C, HIV, latent tuberculosis, parasitic infections, micronutrient deficiencies and mental health problems) Improve the medical records of refugee children Facilitate the use of professional translators Strengthen the culture sensitivity of health care workers Empower refugee children and their caretakers to increase their health literacy
What is in for Rotary? Leadership and responsibility Varied global network (vocations, backgrounds) Practical needs and advocacy. War and conflicts, water issues Economic inequality, plundering elite and lack of fair investments
Consideration and face-forward: Europe forms with the Mediterranean and Africa apparently a geographical area. Let us face the huge potential of an entity with mutual demographic and socio-economic benefits: La Verticale de l avenir: Afrique-Méditerrannée-Europe (Jean-Louis Guigou et Pierre Beckouche)
MOTION 1. The focus on the problem Children are affected by migration in different ways: children are left behind by migrant parents; they are brought along with their migrating parents; and they migrate alone, independently of parents and adult guardians. Other children do not move, but are nevertheless affected because they live in communities that send or receive large numbers of migrants. Some children are return migrants or have been repatriated. Large-scale and dramatically increasing overseas migrations of mothers and children raise concerns about physical, mental and social health of this extremely vulnerable category. In all circumstances, children are perceived to bear the most severe risks and the brunt of the social costs of migration. The program included speakers in representation of: The civil society: The Italian Government The European Commission Local Civil Authorities Court and Ad Hoc institutions Church Representatives Universities Local volunteers organization The Rotary world: R I President T R F Chair Past R I Director(s) R I Directors Elect and Nominee Chair (s) of relevant R A G The District Governors (zone 12) Other Rotarians 2. The involvement and observations of the Participants More than 600 participants attended the Presidential Conference and were involved in the side events of the program showing projects already implemented by Clubs and Districts; but also shared ideas on possible and effective new projects to be implemented.
The specific situation of migration to (and through) South Italy shows that, whilst international migration to industrialized countries is important, evidence indicates that around 40 per cent of migrants leave a developing country to go to another developing country. Migration also occurs within countries; but additionally, significant numbers migrate from one rural area to another, sometimes across borders. Migration presents both opportunities and challenges for societies, communities and individuals. Migration alters the structure of families. While it is true that economic factors are major drivers, migration involves highly diverse groups of people, including girls, boys, women, men, and better-off as well as poorer people. Children who migrate with their parents, or alone, face different opportunities and challenges. The situations of the children and youth (particularly those who come from low-income and war affected countries) remain critical in several areas, including health, education, economic security, housing and work opportunities. Marginalization and discrimination in the country of settlement, barriers to accessing social services, challenges to the rights to citizenship and identity, parents economic insecurity, social and cultural dislocation. According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it is the duty of any country to ensure that all children enjoy their rights, irrespective of their migration status or that of their parents. All the Participants express their gratitude to R I President Jan Risely and Chair Paul Netzel for the opportunity offered by the Presidential Conference to enhance a better understanding of the dramatic problem of migrations around the world and renew, as member of the Family of Rotary, their commitment and support towards solid and lasting contributions to its solution. 3. Motion for RI and TRF The Participants, duly represented by the District Governors in attendance, signatories of this Motion on their behalf, warmly recommend Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation a. To strengthen their continuous commitment to advocacy at all levels, both in countries of emigration and immigration, in respect of physical, mental and social issues connected to migrations. b. Through our Foundation and the dedicated Rotary Action Groups, to promote and favor data collection, monitoring and researches, needed to better understand how migration affects societies, families and children both in countries of origin and settlement; to affect policies to mitigate adverse impacts, and to enable families and children to make informed decisions about migration. These information to be shared through Rotary, The Rotary Foundation and possibly Rotarian Action Groups. c. To stimulate our global network, specifically our District and Clubs and preferably in cooperation therewith, to be open and get involved in all issues directly or indirectly generated by migrations as an effective tool to promote PEACE throughout the World d. Rotary Italia takes note of the request made to Rotary International by the Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, that referred to Italian Law of minor migrants as the most advanced model to be adopted and commits to create the conditions to assure the care of foreign unaccompanied minors. e. Rotary Italia requests Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation to act to ensure that Rotarians assure the care of unaccompanied minors and to formally commits to continue to work until such time as the European Union adopts a law in line with the Italian legislation.