Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health and the World Health Organization have concluded that
guidelines for the care of children in emergency situations need
to be developed and distributed to international relief
organizations. The study highlights the fact that children under
five have the highest mortality rates following armed conflicts,
natural disasters, population displacements or famine
situations. International agencies are less likely to have
formal guidelines on managing neonatal problems; the diagnosis
and management of children with HIV; active case-finding and
treatment of tuberculosis; pediatric trauma; or the diagnosis
and treatment of mental health problems in children. Often
guidelines are not adapted to the different types of health-care
workers who provide care in complex emergencies. Evidence-based,
locally adapted guidelines for the care of children in complex
emergencies should be adopted by ministries of health, supported
by WHO and UNICEF, and disseminate