Population, health and nutrition : FY88 annual sector review

This paper review PHN lending for FY88. PHN lending rebounded in FY88 to $304.9 million for eight projects, a 50 percent increase in volumeover the previous five year average. Lending for health predominated, while population lending accounted for 27 percent of the total. Interest in nutrition increased, but nutrition lending received little emphasis (except in connection with structural adjustment). Important trends included increased attention to project software, continued support for decentralization of health systems, more efforts to involve the private sector in delivering PHN services, more emphasis on health costs and financing, development of new ways to reach clients at periphery, and more emphasis on focused projects. If lending to PHN sectors is to increase from its current low level of 2 to 3 percent of Bank lending to 5 percent or more, current staff resources are inadequate. There is a shortfall in PHN staff resources of about 20 staff years to meet the targeted level of 12 to 14 projects and$ 500 million a year in PHN lending.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Banks&Banking Reform,Agricultural Knowledge&Information Systems,Health Economics&Finance,Housing&Human Habitats

Early childhood feeding practices and dental caries in preschool children: a multi-centre birth cohort study

Extent: 7p.Background Dental caries (decay) is an international public health challenge, especially amongst young children. Early Childhood Caries is a rapidly progressing disease leading to severe pain, anxiety, sepsis and sleep loss, and is a major health problem particularly for disadvantaged populations. There is currently a lack of research exploring the interactions between risk and protective factors in the development of early childhood caries, in particular the effects of infant feeding practises. Methods/Design This is an observational cohort study and involves the recruitment of a birth cohort from disadvantaged communities in South Western Sydney. Mothers will be invited to join the study soon after the birth of their child at the time of the first home visit by Child and Family Health Nurses. Data on feeding practices and dental health behaviours will be gathered utilizing a telephone interview at 4, 8 and 12 months, and thereafter at 6 monthly intervals until the child is aged 5 years. Information collected will include a) initiation and duration of breastfeeding, b) introduction of solid food, c) intake of cariogenic and non-cariogenic foods, d) fluoride exposure, and e) oral hygiene practices. Children will have a dental and anthropometric examination at 2 and 5 years of age and the main outcome measures will be oral health quality of life, caries prevalence and caries incidence. Discussion This study will provide evidence of the association of early childhood feeding practices and the oral health of preschool children. In addition, information will be collected on breastfeeding practices and the oral health concerns of mothers living in disadvantaged areas in South Western Sydney.Amit Arora, Jane A Scott, Sameer Bhole, Loc Do, Eli Schwarz and Anthony S Blinkhor