Child maltreatment.

A Public Health Issue H ealthy child development is a key determinant of health. Yet each year, a disturbing number of Canadian children experience various forms of abuse and neglect. Research shows that the injuries and emotional harm sustained during maltreatment can lead to immediate and long-term health problems that place considerable pressure on the health care system. The health sector plays an important role in reducing the burden of child maltreatment through preventive programs, identification and referral, and treatment. This issue of the Health Policy Research Bulletin explores how Health Canada’s leadership and its coordination of Canada’s national child maltreatment surveillance system serve as a foundation for this work. More specifically, this issue of the Bulletin: