Ettienne EB, Rose K. African minors’ health challenges are comparable to those in the rest of the world. World J Clin Pediatr 2025; 14(2): 102922 [DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v14.i2.102922]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Klaus Rose, MD, Chief Physician, klausrose Consulting, Pediatric Drug Development and More, Medical Science, Äussere Baselstrasse 308, Riehen CH-4125, Switzerland. klaus.rose@klausrose.net
Research Domain of This Article
Pediatrics
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Pediatr. Jun 9, 2025; 14(2): 102922 Published online Jun 9, 2025. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v14.i2.102922
African minors’ health challenges are comparable to those in the rest of the world
Earl B Ettienne, Klaus Rose
Earl B Ettienne, College of Pharmacy, Howard University College of Pharmacy, Washington, DC 20059, United States
Klaus Rose, klausrose Consulting, Pediatric Drug Development and More, Medical Science, Riehen CH-4125, Switzerland
Author contributions: Rose K provided a first draft; Ettienne EB revised and expanded the manuscript; and all authors thoroughly reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Klaus Rose, MD, Chief Physician, klausrose Consulting, Pediatric Drug Development and More, Medical Science, Äussere Baselstrasse 308, Riehen CH-4125, Switzerland. klaus.rose@klausrose.net
Received: November 8, 2024 Revised: January 18, 2025 Accepted: February 6, 2025 Published online: June 9, 2025 Processing time: 130 Days and 22.7 Hours
Abstract
Today’s youth in rich and poor countries faces comparable health risks and challenges. There is the temptation to enjoy too much food that is advertised as delicious and to eat too little healthier food. An increasingly sedentary lifestyle makes physical activity voluntary, no longer based on the daily need for physical activity in rural production. This is a serious medical problem, as today’s young people are threatened tomorrow (and sometimes, already today) by cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, later by further challenges including arthritis, stroke, and more. But this is a challenge far beyond medicine. Young people need to be empowered to distinguish between good and bad lifestyles and be strengthened in their willingness to make an effort for future health. It may not seem very sexy to eat mostly fruits and high-fiber traditional foods instead of hamburgers, snacks, sweets, or to eat in posh restaurants. Everyone needs a certain resistance to advertising today, whether they grow up in Nigeria, Europe or anywhere else. Medical doctors, teachers, and many other professionals with responsibilities for young people have a key role in this endeavour.
Core Tip: Mankind is transitioning towards a sedentary lifestyle where physical exercise is voluntary. This has led to a true epidemic of overweight and resulting health challenges including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and more. This affects people in low-, middle- and high- income countries. Traditional education and communication channels are insufficient to help minors to adapt their lifestyle to more healthy approach that balances physical exercise with balanced nutrition. Helping them to resilience against temptations by marketing and social media is a task for future generations, going far beyond medicine. New technologies need to be considered and used.
