Children in vulnerable situation

by Mohammad Rajja
October 6, 2010

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1018/children-in-vulnerable-situation

The children under five years of age in rural area are vulnerable for various type of disease. Because their body immunity system is very poor. The children under five years of age are suffering most because people of rural area are illiterate and poor. So they can not take care of children properly .They get treatment from village doctor or at best upazilla health complex. They have medicine from Govt. hospital .Through the facilities are not enough. The people of rural area are not aware of vaccination. As a result most of the children are suffering form diseases as Poliomyelitis, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis-B, Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Measles. All these are preventable by vaccination. Other common diseases are ARI, Chronic Diarrhoeal Diseases.

Period from conception to 5 years is termed early childhood. The complete development of the child encompassing both growth and mental development is termed holistic development.

Children around the world today confront environment hazards that were neither known nor suspected a few decades ago. Children face the excitement of changing world with many opportunities and challenges, but they also encounter formidable barriers to their health, development and wellbeing. Children are highly vulnerable to environment hazards for several reasons. In relation to body weight child drink more water, eat more food & breathe more air than adult. As a result children will have substantiality heavier exposures than adult to any toxicants that are present in water, food or air. Two additional characteristics of children further magnify their exposure – their hand to mouth behaviors, they live and play close to ground. Both basic and traditional risks such as unsafe water, poor sanitation, indoor air pollution, poor food hygiene, poor quality housing, inadequate excreta disposal, vector borne disease, accident and injuries as well as modern environmental risks endanger children's health. Every year more than 10.5 million child death before they reach their 5th birthday, many during the 1st year of life. Half of these deaths are due to acute respiratory infection, diarrhea, measles, malaria, malnutrition and often to a combination of these diseases.

Worldwide it is estimated that ¼ of the global burden of disease (GBD) can be attributed to environmental risk factor. Over 40% of the environmental disease burden falls on child under 5 (U5) years of age, yet those contribute only 10% of the world population.

Pneumonia, Diarrhea, Malaria & Malnutrition causes more than 70% of the deaths in children fewer than five years of age.

Pneumonia: Pneumonia remains a major killer of children under five years of age. Pneumonia accounts for nearly one fifth of childhood deaths worldwide.

Asthma: Asthma and chronic respiratory illness such as bronchitis are growing problem especially in industrialized country.

Diarrheal diseases: Another most common global illness affecting young children and a major cause of death in low income countries.

Food borne diseases: In developing countries a polluted environment, lack of safe water supply and poor sanitation increase the likelihood of food becoming contaminated.

Accidents and injuries: In high income countries road traffic accidents are the most common cause of death among school age children in low & middle income countries. They are the third leading cause of death along with drowning. Among U-5 children drowning cause Highest Mortality Rate.

Developmental disabilities: Environmental factors are suspected to play a role in the epidemic of learning and behavioral disabilities observed in some parts of the world. Although globally under five mortality has decreased
By almost a third since the 1970's.

This reduction has not been evenly distributed throughout the world. According to the 2005 world Health report, globally mortality rate of under 5 children fell throughout the later part of the 20th century. Mortality of U-5 children in low to middle income countries are still very high.

In Bangladesh common illness in children under 5 years of age include- Fever (40.1%), Acute respiratory infection (20.8%), Diarrhoea (7.5%) & Malnutrition (45%) & often in combination. (BDHS- 2004).

Providing quality care to sick children in these situations is a serious challenge. Yet how to improve the situation? Experience and scientific evidence shows that improvement in child health are not necessarily depends on the use of sophisticated and expensive technologies, only effective strategies based on holistic approach is sufficient to address the common illness of under five children. A more integrated approach to managing sick children is needed to achieve better outcome.

Followings recommendations are required glancing at above situation: Each & every mother should be taught by the health worker, Mother should to give proper knowledge about exclusive breast feeding & practice of weaning, Health worker should give knowledge about the disadvantages of pre-lacteal feeding & powder milk & advantage of breast feeding, Vaccination status should be maintained properly, Mass media should involve more effectively, Pregnant mother should given proper knowledge about child care, Husband should take major role in care of pregnant mother & child also with the help of other family members.

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