In this issue of Pediatric Clinics of North America, guest editors Drs. Robert S. Kahn, Monica Mitchell, and Tina L. Cheng bring their considerable expertise to the topic of Achieving Child Health Equity. Health equity requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care. In this issue, top experts provide up-to-date information to healthcare practitioners with the goal of implementing programs and policies to identify and address health care inequality for children. Contains 15 practice-oriented topics including clarity on disparity of healthcare in pediatrics: who, what, when, where and how; screening and addressing social determinants of health in pediatric practice; addressing structural racism in pediatric practice; addressing health literacy in pediatric practice; LGBTQ+ and child health equity; and more. Provides in-depth clinical reviews of achieving child health equity, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.

In this issue of Pediatric Clinics of North America, guest editors Drs. Robert S. Kahn, Monica Mitchell, and Tina L. Cheng bring their considerable expertise to the topic of Achieving Child Health Equity. Health equity requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care. In this issue, top experts provide up-to-date information to healthcare practitioners with the goal of implementing programs and policies to identify and address health care inequality for children. Contains 15 practice-oriented topics including clarity on disparity of healthcare in pediatrics: who, what, when, where and how; screening and addressing social determinants of health in pediatric practice; addressing structural racism in pediatric practice; addressing health literacy in pediatric practice; LGBTQ+ and child health equity; and more. Provides in-depth clinical reviews of achieving child health equity, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.

In this issue, guest editors bring their considerable expertise to this important topic. Provides in-depth reviews on the latest updates in the field, providing actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize

This forward-looking resource shines needed light on—and offers realistic solutions for eliminating—health disparities affecting one of the most vulnerable populations: children. Its multilevel framework identifies sources of pediatric health inequities in developmental, societal, familial, financial, and service delivery contexts and sets out innovations for breaking down and addressing longstanding concerns. Plentiful opportunities are described for reducing gaps and promoting equity at various service platforms, from locally-based improvements to systemwide tech upgrades, that can be used as models for revamping larger health policy. And the authors’ long-term perspective emphasizes screening, wellness care, early intervention, and prevention strategies to support young patients in the transitions between childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Included in this compact idea book: Disparities in child health: a review Quality of care in pediatrics and health disparities: the increasing role of quality improvement science Community health worker interventions Technology-based interventions to address pediatric health disparities Place-based strategies in promoting health equity Future directions for a solutions-based approach With its clear delineation of issues and priorities, and its workable recommendations for addressing them, Disparities in Child Health is a ready source of ideas and advocacy for practitioners and researchers in pediatrics, maternal and child health, and general practice/family medicine.

Pediatricians in the Unites States and around the World continue to face a myriad of global health threats affecting child and adolescent health including: 1) infectious diseases of poverty [e.g. human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases] in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC), especially in sub Saharan Africa; 2) emerging and reemerging infectious diseases (such as Ebola); 3) rise of non-communicable diseases (e.g. common mental disorders); 4) unintentional injuries; and 5) environmental health hazards (e.g. climate change). Despite the promising news about rapid declines in maternal and child mortality in the era of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which originated from the United Nation (UN) Millennium Declaration in 2000, only 20% and 7% of LMIC are currently on track to attain the maternal and child mortality targets. For example, 44% of deaths in children younger than 5 years occur in neonates. Besides discovery of life-saving interventions (e.g. development of new and improved vaccines) for maternal and child health, we also need to do a better job at bridging the knowledge-implementation gap and increase the effectiveness of proven interventions. For example, despite the availability of effective vaccines to prevent pneumococcal pneumonia, rotavirus gastroenteritis, and human papilloma virus-related diseases (e.g. cervical cancer), use of these vaccines remain suboptimal in LMIC. We need to recognize that global health is also local public health. For example, improving access, equity and quality of care for orphans and vulnerable children, immigrant and newly arrived refugee children in the U.S. remains a challenge. Timely access to psychiatric care for children and adolescents with mental illness is a major concern. The explosion of new age technology (such as the internet) also poses a considerable risk to children and adolescents. Pediatricians also need to be aware of diverse socio-cultural determinants of health and ethical issues in global health service and delivery. This issue of Pediatric Clinics of North America aims to address the above crucial global health challenges affecting children and adolescents. As practicing pediatricians, we have the unique opportunity to influence local and global public health. In the post-MDG era (beyond 2015), collaborative partnerships between various disciplines and across research, education and service is vital to reduce health inequities in children worldwide.

Preventive pediatrics remains the foundation for pediatricians to offer benefits for future generations. Social conditions often complicate health status and bureaucracies pose challenges for families and children to navigate service systems. Therefore, it is crucial to emphasize a host of topics that children and families face in addition to highlighting opportunities for overcoming some of those challenges. In this issue, an array of authors will update pediatricians on the prevalence and management of chronic health and social conditions such as childhood poverty, youth violence, oral health, asthma, foster care, toxin exposures including tobacco, and childhood obesity. Promising interventions that pediatricians should continue to examine include: how pediatricians can advocate for breastfeeding as a wellness concept for working mothers in the workplace; promotion of childhood literacy development; maximizing immunization compliance; monitor the impact of public policy such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on children’s health; and how community health workers (CHWs) can be vital to community health improvement. Proposed interventions include a description of how the medical and legal partnership model can be an empowering strategy for families to address social determinants of health (SDH) when lawyers are included as a member of the health care team. In addition, pediatricians and all other child healthcare professionals must investigate epigenetic mechanisms that might predispose children to risk factors or good health outcomes.

Together with Consulting Editor Dr. Bonita Stanton, Drs. Steven Kairys and Arturo Brito have put together a comprehensive issue that addresses Vulnerable Children in the United States. Expert authors have contributed clinical review articles on the following topics: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Outcomes; Abuse and Neglect/Foster Care/Family Violence; Homelessness/Street/Children/Undocumented/Community Violence; 20 Questions (and Answers) About Media Violence and Cyberbullying; Autism as a Representative of Disability; Addiction including Tobacco and Drugs in Children; Food Insecurity and the Impact on Child Health; Guns and School Violence; The Vulnerability of Children; The Vulnerability of LGBTQ Children; Implicit Bias Impact on Children; Supporting Immigrant Children and Youth: What Pediatricians Can Do; and Human Trafficking. Readers will come away with the information they need to improve outcomes in vulnerable pediatric patients.