5th Community Social Pediatrics Symposium - Children's Vulnerability: Understanding and Addressing Health Inequities Français
MONTREAL, May 25, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Fondation du Dr Julien is proud to be bringing together over 400 researchers, practitioners, students and professionals in health, social services and law for the 5th Community Social Pediatrics Symposium on May 25 and 26, 2017 at the Montreal Science Centre. The goal of this forum is to mobilize professionals, political decision-makers and researchers around the social inequities affecting the health and development of vulnerable children.
"This symposium allows us to share knowledge from research and medical practice, which we can then put to use in helping our most vulnerable children. Some of the themes we will be addressing are the complexity of interventions with these children, identifying those communities most at risk, and the rights of vulnerable children and their place in society. I am overjoyed to see so many professionals who are interested in community social pediatrics coming together like this," notes Dr. Gilles Julien, C.M., O.Q., social pediatrician, founding President and Clinical Director of Fondation du Dr Julien.
Identifying Quebec's most vulnerable communities
In Quebec, more than 200,000 children live in poverty.1 What are the most vulnerable areas in Quebec? What indices can we use to measure this vulnerability? At the Symposium, researchers will be unveiling the results of an analysis that uses the smallest territorial unit possible to identify Quebec's most vulnerable areas. These are the communities most at risk in terms of social and economic poverty.
"We now know that prolonged exposure to stress can have a significant impact on child development. Such stress, what we call "toxic stress", has numerous and varied sources. It may result from an individual factor like a handicap or genetic predisposition, or from the environment in which the child lives and interacts on a daily basis, such as the family or community. The geospatial analysis was carried out to help Fondation du Dr Julien identify sites for the future implementation of community social pediatrics centres. It is an extremely valuable tool for ensuring that our most vulnerable children get the help they need," explains Dr. Gaëlle Vekemans, pediatrician at the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Community Social Pediatrics Centre.
An international symposium with top experts in the field
Some 24 speakers from Canada, the United States, Great Britain and Australia will be presenting their innovative community-based projects, share evidence-based findings from scientific research, and contribute to the development of professional practices. Sébastien Proulx, Quebec's Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports; Minister of Families; and Minister responsible for Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine, will give the Symposium's closing address.
The Symposium will welcome two research chairs in community social pediatrics, one from the Université de Montréal and one from McGill University, who will share insights and discuss their research orientations. It will also be the chance to discover the many unique medical and social interventions that are currently being carried out in other countries around the world.
Jerry Nussbaum, President of the Janusz Korczak Association of Canada will present the Janusz Korczak Award to Dr. Gilles Julien, Fondation du Dr Julien's founding President and Clinical Director, and Me. Hélène (Sioui) Trudel, its Executive Director and Principal Legal Counsel. This award is in recognition of the outstanding care they provide to vulnerable children, and their dedication to protecting the rights of all children.
To view the Symposium's full content, please consult its program.
About Fondation du Dr Julien
Fondation du Dr Julien is a social enterprise whose mission is to ensure that every vulnerable child has access to the medical care and specialized services of community social pediatrics so that they can develop to their full potential and with greater well-being, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Fondation trains, accompanies and also certifies a network of community social pediatrics centres (CSPCs) throughout Quebec. Today, 24 CSPCs care for and provide life tools to almost 4,400 children and their families.
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SOURCE Fondation du Dr Julien
RSVP and requests for interviews: Elisa Baldet, Media Relations / Fondation du Dr julien, 514-467-2445, [email protected]
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