Kennedy commission child health report ignores gun violence, the leading cause of child death – Los Angeles Times

Report on the “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy” and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

A report titled the “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy” has been released by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. The strategy aims to address the childhood chronic disease epidemic in the United States. This analysis evaluates the report’s content through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Strategic Focus and Adherence to SDG 3

The commission’s strategy identifies four primary threats to child health, which aligns with several targets under SDG 3, aimed at ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages.

Identified Health Threats

• Poor diet and consumption of ultraprocessed foods
• Exposure to environmental chemicals
• Excessive use of prescription medications
• High levels of stress combined with insufficient physical activity

Relevance to SDG 3 Targets

By addressing issues such as diet, water quality, and mental health, the strategy nominally supports key aspects of SDG 3. These include:

1. Target 3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment.
2. Target 3.9: Substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution.

Critical Omission: Gun Violence and Contradiction with SDG 16

A significant gap in the report is the complete omission of firearms, the leading cause of death for children in the United States. This oversight fundamentally undermines the report’s stated goals and conflicts directly with SDG 16, which seeks to promote peaceful and inclusive societies.

Statistical Context of Child Mortality

• Firearms have been the primary cause of death for individuals aged 1 to 17 since 2022.
• In 2022, over 2,500 children died from gunshot wounds.
• Gun violence accounted for 30% of all deaths among 15- to 17-year-olds in the same year.

Conflict with SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The failure to address the leading cause of child mortality is a direct contradiction of Target 16.1: “Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.” By ignoring this critical factor, the strategy fails to provide a comprehensive framework for ensuring child safety and well-being, a cornerstone of sustainable development.

Critique from Public Health and Pediatric Organizations

The report has drawn criticism from prominent health organizations for its lack of detail and its failure to address primary drivers of child mortality, thereby limiting its potential to contribute effectively to SDG 3.

Key Points of Criticism

• The American Academy of Pediatrics noted the report “omits key drivers that harm children’s health, including gun violence and environmental hazards.”
• Defend Public Health, a coalition of public health professionals, highlighted the failure to mention the number one cause of childhood deaths as a major flaw.
• Experts noted the document lacks specific details on implementation for the more than 120 topics it briefly covers.

Commission’s Response and Proposed Research Focus

In response to questions regarding the omission of firearms, the commission stated its intent to focus on the underlying causes of violence rather than the instruments of violence themselves.

Proposed Areas for Investigation

The National Institutes of Health will reportedly launch studies into potential causes of violence, including:

• Use of psychiatric drugs
• Influence of video games
• Impact of social media

Analysis of Proposed Approach

This approach has been criticized by health experts as a diversion from evidence-based solutions. Previous research has not established a causal link between psychiatric drug use and mass shootings. Conversely, studies published in JAMA Pediatrics have demonstrated a direct correlation between more permissive gun laws and thousands of additional child gun deaths. This focus on unproven theories over established data risks misallocating resources and failing to address the root causes of violence as outlined in SDG 16.

Conclusion: A Strategy Misaligned with Evidence-Based SDG Implementation

The “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy” presents a framework that, while touching upon certain aspects of SDG 3, is critically flawed by its disregard for the leading cause of child mortality in the United States. By ignoring gun violence, the report fails to align with the foundational principles of SDG 16. Critics argue that the strategy prioritizes preconceived notions over scientific evidence, thereby endangering children and hindering meaningful progress toward creating a safe and healthy environment as envisioned by the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: This is the most prominent SDG, as the article centers on the “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy.” It directly discusses threats to child health, including chronic diseases, poor diet, chemical exposures, stress, lack of physical activity, and mental health. The article also highlights gun violence as the leading cause of death for children, which is a critical public health issue.
2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This goal is relevant due to the extensive discussion on gun violence. The article points out that firearms are the leading cause of death for children and criticizes the health commission for omitting this issue. Reducing violence and death rates is a core component of this SDG.
3. SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The article mentions the commission’s plan to tackle “poor diet” and “ultraprocessed foods.” These issues are related to malnutrition, which falls under SDG 2, specifically the target of ending all forms of malnutrition.
4. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The commission’s report is noted to cover “water quality” as a topic, which directly connects to the goal of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. The article’s focus on reversing the “childhood chronic disease epidemic” through addressing poor diet, lack of physical activity, and stress directly aligns with this target. The discussion around psychiatric drugs and mental health also connects to the well-being aspect of this target.
• Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The article’s central criticism is the omission of gun violence, which it identifies as the “leading cause of death for people under the age of 18.” The statistics provided on child deaths from gunshot wounds make this target highly relevant.
• Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. The commission’s report is mentioned to address “chemical exposures” and “water quality,” which are direct concerns of this target.
• Target 2.2: By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition. The plan to tackle “poor diet” and “ultraprocessed foods” relates to this target, as these contribute to health issues like obesity, which is a form of malnutrition.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions or implies several indicators:

• For Target 16.1 (Reduce violence and death rates): The article provides explicit quantitative indicators.
  • The number of child deaths from gunshot wounds: “More than 2,500 kids died from gunshot wounds in 2022.”
  • The proportion of deaths among a specific age group due to firearms: “guns were responsible for 30% of all deaths of 15- to 17-year-olds.”
  • The ranking of firearms as a cause of death for children: “Firearms have been the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 17 every year since 2022.”
• For Target 3.4 (Reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases): The article implies an indicator without providing specific data.
  • The prevalence of chronic diseases in children: The article refers to the “childhood chronic disease epidemic,” implying that the rate of these diseases is a key measure of the problem.
• For Target 3.9 (Reduce deaths from pollution): The article implies indicators by mentioning the topics covered in the health report.
  • Levels of exposure to harmful chemicals in children.
  • Measures of water quality in communities.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: latimes.com