ABSTRACT
A comprehensive plan for community health is in effect a plan for community development. This chapter discusses the standards necessary for healthy urban environments. The realization of children's rights requires comprehensive responses to health issues of the poor. At issue are not only health services, but the broad range of environmental, social and economic factors that affect health. Urban areas clearly offer potential advantages for the health of their residents. Although biological pathogens present a greater overall risk, children can also sustain significant damage to health from exposure to various chemical substances, which may be harmful to them at levels not considered damaging for adults. Basic health care delivery should be primarily through well-distributed small local clinics or health centres, which can respond at relatively low cost to the vast majority of health care needs. Treating injury and disease and managing chronic health problems are integral to the services of any local health centre.
