Anthropologiai Közlemények 30. (1986)
1986 / 1-2. füzet - O. G. Eiben: Growth standards as a tool in primary health care
Anthrop. Közi. 30; 3-4.1986. GROWTH STANDARDS AS A TOOL IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE Opening Address at the Fourth International Symposium of Human Biology (Pécs, 23-26 June, 1986) Ottó G. Eiben Department of Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary It is my great pleasure and honourable task to have the occasion fourth time to welcome all of you to our Symposium. The series of our Symposiums of Human Biology have already a nice tradition, and without any immodesty we can state that our preceding symposiums were successful. In 1976, in Balatonfüred, in connection with the ’’summing up” phase of the International Biological Programme, the main subjects of our First Symposium of Human Biology were Growth and Development of children as well as the variations of human Physique, themes which had been in the ^centre of interest long ago. Our intention was at that time to open the Hungarian physical anthropology’s/human biology’s windows wide at the world. In 1979, in Visegrád the main subject pf our Second Symposium was the Functional Biotypology, and the overwhelming majority of the presentations dealt with different aspects of the human physique. However, several lectures touched the problems of growth and development of children, and so, we intended to contribute to the success of the International Children’s Year. In 1981, in Bozsok, during our Third Symposium, we discussed the Variations of Human Growth and Physique, aspecially four aspects of them: the genetical, the clinical, the ecological, and the ldnanthropometrical sides of this problem-circle. The multidisciplinary character of our Symposiums was ensured. This time (in 1986, in Pécs) as main topic of our Fourth Symposium we have chosen the Growth Standards, again a theme which was in the forefront of interest of as human biologists as well as pediatricians decades ago. What does cause this great interest? Simply two facts, I think. Firstly, a lot of us have a feeling of responsibility for the children’s welfare, and secondly, growth and development data constitute a comprehensive and sensitive indicator specific to child health. But, it seems to be worthy surveying some ambitions all over the world. Let us remember the International Conference on Primary Health Care organized in Alma-Ata in September 1978, and jointly sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Found. This conference declared the basic principle .Jlealth for all by 2000!”. The Declaration of Alma-Ata strongly reaffirms that ”health, which is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, is a fundamental human right and that the attainment of the highest possible level of health is a most important world-wide social goal whose realization requires the action of many other social and economic sectors in addition to the health sector”. The Declaration points out that ’’economic and social development is of basic importance to the fullest attainment of health for all and to the reduction of the gap between the health status of the developing and developed countries. The promotion and protection