Warning over ‘unhealthiest generation of children in decades’: UK now has some of the worst outcomes for kids in Europe, with declining vaccination rates and rising asthma admissions and mental health disorders
A new warning highlights that the UK now has some of the worst health outcomes for children in Europe, with experts describing today's youngsters as potentially the "unhealthiest generation in decades." The assessment points to a combination of falling vaccination uptake, rising hospital admissions for asthma, and an increase in mental health disorders among children and young people, raising concerns about the long-term impact on public health and the NHS.
The warning underscores growing unease among health professionals that preventative care and early intervention are failing to keep pace with children's needs, leaving the UK trailing many of its European counterparts on key child health indicators. While specific figures were not detailed in the available report, the combination of declining immunisation rates alongside rising chronic and mental health conditions suggests a broad-based deterioration in children's wellbeing that officials are being urged to address.
- UK children now among Europe's worst for health outcomes
- Vaccination rates falling while asthma admissions rise
- Mental health disorders in children also increasing