Childhood diarrhoea major cause of mortality, say experts

MULTAN: Childhood diarrhea is a major cause of child mortality in Pakistan. Each year, 53,300 children under five years of age die due to inadequate diarrhoea treatment.

This was said by health expert Dr Imran Khan while addressing the participants of a nutrition programme at a local hotel in Multan.

Nutrition International, in collaboration with the health department, IRMNCH & Nutrition Programme conducted an awareness seminar for pediatricians, district coordinator and medical officers.

Imran said the department of health aimed to update the knowledge and skills of front line workers in Punjab through training of the master trainers. These master trainers in turn will conduct district level training and monitor the roll out of updated diarrhoea and pneumonia management guidelines, he added.



He pointed out that a major proportion of child mortality and morbidity could be prevented by immediate and appropriate measures of identification of the disease and referral to the appropriate centres.

Meanwhile, health experts said pneumonia and diarrhoea are among the leading causes of child mortality in Punjab. They said the incidence of diarrhoea is reported to be the highest in the post neo-natal age group. They said more than 2.5 billion people suffer from diarrhoea annually around the world.

They added Pakistan is among the top five countries where death by diarrhoea is common.

The experts suggested that use of zinc and ORS should be actively promoted for management of diarrhoea in coordination with medical associations and the government.

Earlier, the official record of the health department revealed at least 193,117  diarrhoea acute patients were admitted in the government owned hospitals in Faisalabad, Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Attock, Bahawalpur, Chakwal, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Jhelum, Qasoor, Khanewal, Khushab, Layyah, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Okara, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Sheikhupra, Toba Tek Singh, Vehari, Bhakkar, Chiniot, Dera Ghazi Khan, Jhang, Lodran Mianwali, Muzaffargarh, and Nankana Sahib from January 1 to  May 11, 2017.

The maximum number of patients suffering from the disease were admitted in Lahore which touched the figure of 74,337, followed by 12,326 in Rawalpindi, 10,163 in DG Khan, 8,306 in Sheikhupura, 7,294 in Multan, 6,859 in Bahawalpur and 6,113 in Faisalabad.

Likewise, 16,910 acute watery diarrhoea patients were admitted in government hospitals of Punjab. Of them, 11,577 such patients were registered in Lahore followed by 1,563 in Faisalabad and 1,310 in Okara.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2017.