RESUMO
[Preface]. If child survival is one of the most important unfinished challenges bequeathed to us by the twentieth century, then guaranteeing healthy growth and development for all children, a goal that is already being addressed in the twenty-first century, is key to meeting this challenge. The progress that has been made, especially in recent decades, in the prevention of diseases and the effective treatment of many of them, has had a major impact on the overall living conditions of people throughout the world, including the Region of the Americas. Life expectancy has increased in the last twenty years, and an important part of this increase has been due to the countries’ efforts to reduce infant mortality. The number of deaths in children under 5 years of age was drastically reduced between the early 1980s and the end of the 1990s, and the goal to reduce the 1990 figure by one-third was attained in 2000... The present manual is intended to provide health professionals—from those involved in academic training to personnel who work directly in child health care—with the tools, integrated into IMCI and placed within the population’s reach, to make effective interventions for the improvement of child development. These conditions will undoubtedly hasten achievement of the Millennium Development Goals for 2015 to which all the countries are committed. By ensuring that all children and their families have the opportunity for healthy growth and development throughout childhood, they not only improve child survival but also make a difference in the lives of those who survive.
