In terms of health, the diseases of issue at the beginning of the century are all but eradicated - cholera, smallpox, polio, diphtheria and whooping cough. Others such as tetanus, mumps and measles are rarely notified as shown below:

selected organisms made to SCIEH under the voluntary reporting system. 1995 data are provided for comparison (SO 1996).

In Chapter B, Part 1 of the 1997 Scottish Health Statistics (ISD 1998), a compendium of information relating to the health of children is given:

• Overall, primary immunisation coverage for 2 year olds was 97.9% for Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio, 96.2% for Pertussis, 97.5% for HiB and 94.6% for MMR; comparable figures for the UK are 96.0%, 94.3%, 95.4%, and 91.8% respectively.

• 93.7% of 6 year olds received a pre-school booster for Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio.

• The number of children with measles reported in 1996 was 764, the lowest since records began.

• Cases of chickenpox in children decreased by 8.2% between 1995 and 1996; provisional all ages figures however indicate an increase during 1997.

• In 1996 a relatively high proportion of rubella and measles notifications in males occurred in patients aged 15 and over.

• The target for year 2005 of 1.5 decayed, missing and filled teeth per 12 year old has already been achieved by 7 health boards according to 1996 figures.

• The number of children registered with the General Dental Service has continued to increase over the past 5 years from 662,809 in 1991 to 754,873, an increase of 12%.

• The relatively high rate of hospital admissions of children under 15 because of poisoning accidents is clearly observed with 1,629 cases reported in 1996-97. One young person died in 1996 from a poisoning accident.

Detailed information is also presented of primary immunisation, uptake rates of immunisation against UK countries and Scotland's Health Boards, congenital anomalies and child accidents with emergency hospital admission rates.

The health of children as stated in the Chief Medical Officer's Yearly Report to the Secretary of State (1996) concerning the health of the people in Scotland recorded that there were 59,303 live births and this was the lowest figure since registration began in 1855. Over one-third of these 36% were to unmarried parents.

The stillbirth rate fell further in 1996 to 6.4 per 1,000 births while infant mortality (ie death before the first birthday) remained at the lowest level ever recorded, namely 6.2 deaths per 1,000 live births. Similarly, deaths in the first month (3.9 per 1,000 live births) were at the lowest level ever recorded. Particularly encouraging has been the fall in the number of sudden infant deaths from 132 in 1990 to 42 in 1996, and this probably reflects the advice to mothers that infants should be put to sleep on their backs rather than their fronts.

Full statistics are to be found in 'Births in Scotland 1976-1995' published by ISD (1997).

Death in the age range 1-44 years remains uncommon, accounting for just 4% of all deaths (SO 1997).

Technology has meant that more can be done to help premature infants to survive, but health approaches appear to be less able to prevent prematurely and low birth weight babies. The Scottish Office publication 'Eating for Health' addresses some of the problems of diet and good health in pregnancy. However, the importance of addressing the need of morbidity such as neurological handicap, still needs attention.

In 1998, while the Government is still concerned with the issues such as vaccination, immunisation and mental health, mortality figures, especially of cancer and heart disease/stroke issues arising from the success of previous policies and technology in terms of low birth weight babies, diets of children and their future as adults, oral health and their mental well-being are also recognised. Problems of early sexual activity: AIDS, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and relationships are now current issues to address as well as those of child abuse and life styles as well as accidents. The problems of inequality have also to be addressed as well as those children socially excluded (Green Paper 1998).

The Health Briefing on Teenage Pregnancy in Scotland 1985-1995, issued by ISD, offers overall figures and those for individual Health Boards (ISD 1997), in terms of numbers and rates for comparisons across Scotland.

'Children's Rights' are now also considered and are recognised in the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.

Today's issues concern the well-being of children and an increasing understanding that children are "the future".