by Cyndy Cerbin

Joseph Zanga’s credentials could have taken him anywhere. But he chose Columbus and its children—to be the focus of his skills and passionZanga has been a pediatrician for more than 30 years. He has served as president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, written numerous books and articles and has appeared on national television programs including Good Morning America and CBS This Morning. And now, he is the new Chief of Pediatrics for The Medical Center in Columbus.

In Columbus, children have access to care that is comparable to any I’ve seen anyplace in the country,” Zanga says. But he does not hesitate to point out the flip side of the coin. “The state of child health in this nation, however, is not good, and not getting better.”

Dr. Joseph Zanga

Zanga blames a number of society’s ills for the challenges he faces in child care, which leads to his holistic approach in finding solutions. For instance, he says you can’t solve all of a child’s behavioral problems by giving him medicine. In many cases, he says, a teacher recommends medicine to parents because the child is acting out in class. But the child might be acting out because he’s not getting enough sleep, and one reason he’s not getting enough sleep is that his parents allow him to have a TV in his bedroom.

“Not a day goes by,” Zanga says, “that I don’t talk to a parent who’s concerned about how her child is doing in school. And yet, while the American Association of Pediatrics recommends no more than an hour or two of media a day, these children live by their TV sets and video games.”

Zanga believes it’s crucial to look at children in the context of their families. “And that’s what I talk about a lot, the importance of families in the lives of their children, the importance of involvement of a mother and a father in the lives of their children. As a society, we don’t understand that. We don’t value children as much as we should.”

Zanga ticks off a number of possible solutions: affordable, quality day care, healthier messages in the media, better pay scales so that one parent might have the option of staying home with the children. He’s taking a wait-and-see approach to what the new administration might do to
improve the picture. “My colleagues and I are sad and concerned. In some ways we are energized by what the president is saying, but we’ve heard a lot of that before.”

Zanga lobbies for more public discussion about the issues facing our children. “The constitutional amendment 15 to 20 years ago on women’s rights didn’t pass. But the discussion of that amendment generated law, recognition, and a sense of the value and worth of women in society. It accelerated the process of putting women on an equal footing with men.

“We need a constitutional amendment on children’s rights. Simple. Three paragraphs. It will never pass. But the discussion of it will raise the consciousness of this nation about the needs of children and families, and begin to put their needs on equal footing with everyone else.”

Zanga intends to spend his first few months meeting pediatricians, talking to school officials, getting to know the community. If you have the chance, let him know what’s on your mind. There’s no reason that a national movement on children’s rights can’t start right here in Columbus.


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