Dear CHIFA colleagues,
Clare Hanbury said today: "I am fascinated by this discussion and wonder if we could arrange a meeting or zoom call to discuss it further. As experts in working with children and helping parents and teachers deepen conversations on health with children - we could have a role... Do let me know if you would like to participate in such a meeting."
It has been a few days since the last message on this topic and I would like to help set the scene by reproducing the message from Dr. Muhammad Wahedi, Bangladesh, below, which preceded Clare's message:
--
Arch Dis Child: Guide to communicating with children and young people (2)
"This is easier said than done because power is unequally distributed in paediatrics: our status as adults with professional authority can prevent children from engaging authentically with us."
Quoting from article and looking in to the issues I find we here in Bangladesh and many others will have to go long to take this guidelines into action. I believe no one will deny to accept the message in words but most will not be putting it into action as it needs to change our caregivers and service providers understandings and beliefs to modify our own behaviour and attitudes about children.
1. Greeting children: We greet the adults means the parents or grandparents with whom the children moves and even forget them , sometimes of course we do so hello but with no or minimum importance.
2. Engaging Children : it's a difficult job again in the context we are living in, our children are adapting to an adult friendly atmosphere all around.
3. Conversation with Children : We don't converse with children, most of the time conversation goes with the parents , their problems and their solutions are all between the caregivers and the parents. Children just roams around
4. Decision making : Again we believe children at all ages are not capable of making their decision and adults are always making decisions for them even without their acceptance.
So I find we are at opposite pole of the guidelines and thus I feel the importance of the quote I pointed at the beginning of my discussion. Truly this is easier said than done ..... but of course we need to change to provide child centered care and that should be achieved with our all efforts and works in future.
Thank you
Dr. Muhammad Wahedi , Bangladesh
CHIFA profile: Muhammad Obaidullah Khan Wahedi is Professor of Paediatrics & Neonatology at the Medical College for Women & Hospital in Bangladesh. Professional interests: Neonatology and early childhood development, affordable health services for rural poor and disadvantaged, Community Health Insurance. mokwahedi AT gmail.com
--
You can review all CHIFA messages here: https://www.hifa.org/rss-feeds/10
Best wishes, Neil
CHIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
