KOCHI: Children are the most affected by the impact of global warming and it is imperative that the health of children, who are the promise of tomorrow, is protected, Justice Devan Ramachandran of the Kerala High Court has said. He was inaugurating Pedicon 2024, the 61st annual summit of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics in Kochi on Thursday.
“A child is not a little adult. They are the class which is most vulnerable to every single change in nature because they breathe faster than us. The changes in the climatic system, including heat waves, affect them more. That is because they are in the developing stage. Now it is time for us to reflect upon what is facing us in the future,” he said, adding that doctors are the repositories of the aspirations of the next generation and the people who take care of our little citizens.
APM Muhammed Hanish IAS, health secretary, Dr Basavaraj G V, the national president of IAP, Dr Upendra S Kinjawadekar and others attended the event. The four-day annual summit from January 25 to 28 organised by the IAP Kerala chapter is being attended by 7,000 paediatricians from across the country.
‘IAP ki baat, community ke saath’ launched
The newly elected president of the IAP Dr G V Basavaraj, launched the programme ‘IAP ki baat, community ke saath’ at the event. The national-level programme aims to create awareness on child health, from anaemia to pneumonia, and to share details on the treatment. The programme will be carried out through social media platforms, including Facebook, X, and Instagram and through community engagement programmes.