Promoting children's health

Paediatricians have an important role in promoting children's health both at an individual case level but also in the wider community. The recently launched Healthy Child Programme in England and its equivalents in the UK, provides a supportive framework on which to tailor health promoting activities. Qualities of an effective health promoting paediatrician include recognition of the wider social determinants of health, advocacy and leadership, the use of promotional interviewing techniques and opportunistic health education using a strength-based approach.