Alder Hey paediatrician reveals how poverty is impacting young people

A consultant paediatrician from Alder Hey Children's Hospital has revealed how poverty is affecting the health of young people across Merseyside.

Dr Ian Sinha specialises in respiratory medicine and says many of the children he sees in clinic are now showing early signs of adult diseases which he believes can be linked to poor nutrition and housing.

A third of people in the city are known to be living below the breadline, with the cost of food, energy, housing and transport all contributing to the financial pressures facing families.

In an exclusive interview, Dr Sinha told us the cost of living crisis is having a direct impact on the future health of our children: "We are seeing children presenting with the early signs of adult diseases. They may not be things that look very worrying now, but for those of us who work in paediatrics, a lot of what we're starting to see is a really worrying precursor for what's going to happen to these young people in the future.

"For the majority of people with adult respiratory diseases; you can trace their problems right back to their early childhood and it is the more social determinants of health - the housing in which they live, the amount of money that their parents have and importantly, the amount of good quality food that they eat. Everybody from time to time will have ultra-processed foods but if that's all that you're having then it does put you at risk of problems."

Dr Sinha says being exposed to good quality nutrition early in life is important to lay the foundations for good health into adulthood: "What's worrying is the more insidious effects of poor nutrition on children which may not present now, but they will be presenting in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s to adult hospitals or primary care facilities with problems like diabetes, COPD and other lung diseases, heart disease and neurological disorders.

"One of the things that we see about poverty and child health is that like many things throughout history, the people that can get themselves out of a difficult situation are the people with the most money in reserve. Many families in Liverpool are in a situation where they can't get out of this difficult set of circumstances."

Liverpool's West Derby MP Ian Byrne launched a campaign called the 'Right to Food' in 2020, with the aim of ending food poverty across Liverpool and beyond. Working alongside Dr Sinha, Ian Byrne is dedicating this week (18th-23rd September) to bringing people together to make sure the collective demand for the right to food is heard by the Government.

He said: "We've got families who are vulnerable, living in poor housing and struggling to put a meal on the table. From the north of the city to the south of the city there is over a decade of difference in life expectancy. That shows you that a lot of it is income, better housing and a better standard of living that's keeping our people living longer.

"What we're trying to do is make sure that every single child, regardless of their income or background has an opportunity to live a long and healthy life and to benefit society. The Right to Food is not a left or right issue, it's a moral issue. It's really difficult seeing the struggle that people are facing because it's so unfair."

Among the demands of the Right to Food campaign is universal free school meals, to ensure no child goes hungry in an education setting.

The Right to Food week will culminate in a hunger march through Liverpool on Saturday 23rd September. Crowds are asked to gather with flags and banners at 12 noon on the steps to St George's Hall before marching to the Bombed Out Church, and on to The Casa for a rally at 1pm.

• merseyside
• alder hey