Child and adolescent health
New guidance to improve assessment and management of children with suspected neurological problems
According to the WHO/Europe paediatric hospital care assessment in many newly independent states in the region, misdiagnosis and/or mismanagement of infant and child neurological disorders is widespread. Among the main causes for this situation, WHO experts identified the low compliance with international classification systems, the lack of evidence-based clinical guidelines, out of date training and inadequate health system and welfare regulations.
Development of clinical guidelines on assessment of neurological conditions in newborns and children is one of the activities of the EU-funded project Support to maternal and child health reform in Kazakhstan, 2009-2011 led by the WHO Country Office in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan. Participants of the WHO workshop held in Almaty on 22-23 February 2010 defined priority areas and gaps in neonatal and child neurological conditions in Kazakhstan such as clinical guidelines on diagnostics and treatment, health system regulations and policy, professional training and provided recommendations for the development of clinical guidelines and policy on management of neurological conditions. A plan of action was drawn up for the development of clinical guidelines for defined priority conditions/areas and for addressing barriers to their implementation arising from professional training and from health system regulations and policy.