Infectious diseases and pediatrics: a parallel scientific and health care pathway in the last two centurieshealthcare pathway in the last two centuries

Abstract

Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases reached an autonomous healthcare assistance and scientific pathway in a different mode when comparing the English-American medical world, and the South-European countries, including Italy. Like the late recognition of childhood as human beings deserving a specific assistance by specialist physicians (pediatricians) in the English-American health care system, also Infectious Diseases developed as a subspecialty of General Internal Medicine in the English-American countries, while played their autonomous role especially in some European countries including Italy, where some prominent academic and assistance centres of Infectious Diseases had their roots just in some Pediatric references centres located throughout the country. Aim of our work is also to explore the unmet needs of pediatric infectious diseases assistance still relevant in the third millennium, both in the industrialized worlds, and in developing countries.