This guide defines public spaces for children as those that can be easily and freely accessed and enjoyed by all children, either alone or with friends or family, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, nationality, social status or physical ability. Whatever their context, these places are saf ... e from physical hazards (such as pollution, waste, traffic, falls or drowning risks); and social risks (such as crime, exclusion, or bullying). Whether they are streets, neighbourhoods, existing public open spaces, or the small, “liminal” spaces, such as stairwells or alleyways from which children carve out a place for themselves more

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Urbanisation has been associated with temporal and geographical differences in asthma prevalence in low-income and middle-income countries (lMics). however, little is known of the mechanisms by which urbanisation and asthma are associated, perhaps explained by the methodological approaches used to a ... ssess the urbanisation-asthma relationship. more

The increasing prevalence of childhood asthma in the developed world is a cause for concern. A so-called Western lifestyle has been the factor most commonly cited to explain this worrying increase in asthma prevalence. Early studies in a limited number of African countries showed a very low rural pr ... evalence of childhood asthma, especially where children lived according to a traditional lifestyle. These same studies showed that asthma was not uncommon in urbanized African children. There has been an increasing tendency over the past 20 years for those in rural communities to move to the large urban centers. This article analyses the urban-rural differences and factors that influence the development of asthma in susceptible children. more