Advocacy in Pediatria

The article offers an overview of the scope, background and objectives of child health advocacy. As a discipline, paediatrics has always been characterised by an effort to effect societal changes that benefit children, and to support the child and the family beyond the issues related to treatment of the individual medical conditions. The history of paediatric advocacy is briefly presented and examples given of the priorities identified over the last decades by the major paediatric societies. A tentative identification of priority issues related to child health and development in Italy include the legal and social protection of children with special needs, the issue of universal access to day care services, the rights of migrant children, the education for a sustainable development. Based on a critical analysis of past successes and failures, strategies and methods to effectively achieve change are suggested.