Notice to Readers
Child Health Month -- October 1997
October 1997 is Child Health Month. The overall theme for
Child Health Month for 1997-1999 is substance-abuse prevention, and
this year's focus is on prevention of tobacco use.
In 1996, approximately 69 million children and adolescents
aged less than 18 years lived in the United States; by 2020, the
number is expected to increase to 78 million (1). Since 1992, the
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has used Child Health Month to
increase public awareness of the value of preventive health care.
Child Health Month originated from AAP's "Children: Our Future"
campaign, which was developed from the "Access to Health Care"
initiative of the late 1980s. October was selected because of Child
Health Day, an observance originally designated for the first
Monday in October by the President in 1928 to draw national
attention to the status of children's health.
Additional information about Child Health Month is available
from CDC's Office of Program Planning and Evaluation, telephone
(404) 639-7086.
Reference
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics.
America's children: key national indicators of well being.
Washington, DC: Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family
Statistics, 1997.
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