Childhood deaths

"Preventable infectious diseases cause two-thirds of child deaths, according to a new study published by The Lancet." Based on information provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF's Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG), the study examined causes of childhood death in 193 countries. "While the number of deaths has declined globally over the last decade, the analysis reveals how millions of children under five die every year from preventable causes."

It is estimated that 8.8 million children die annually. Over 5.5 million children die from pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, and other infectious diseases. These diseases are preventable and treatable, but many victims are unable to reach or afford prophylactics or proper medical care.

"These findings have important implications for national programs," said UNICEF Chief of Health, Dr. Mickey Chopra. "The persistence of diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria, all of which are easily preventable and curable but which nonetheless remain the leading single causes of death worldwide, should spur us to do more to control these diseases."


Read more: Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health (2010, May 12). Infectious diseases caused two-thirds of the nearly 9 million child deaths globally in 2008. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2010/05/100511201732.htm


Source:
Robert E Black, Simon Cousens, Hope L Johnson, Joy E Lawn, Igor Rudan, Diego G Bassani, Prabhat Jha, Harry Campbell, Christa Fischer Walker, Richard Cibulskis, Thomas Eisele, Li Liu, Colin Mathers, for the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group of the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality in 2008: a systematic analysis. The Lancet, 2010; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60549-1

Alarm amid medicine shortage

Kenya's rainy season is the most dangerous for contracting malaria, a deadly disease carried by mosquitoes, and children are the most susceptible. "A shortage of malaria drugs for children has hit hospitals as fears of an outbreak of the disease loom following heavy rains in various parts of the country."

"The Kenya Medical Supplies Agency said stocks of the drugs were running low, but were in the process of being procured and could be delivered by the beginning of February." The Chief executive, John Munyu, is hopeful that the crisis will be avoided because deliveries are continuing. He indicated that "adult malarial drugs are already being supplied after a reported shortage in parts of the country."

The minister of medical services, Anyang' Nyong'o, claims that "the shortage of drugs was caused by inadequate funding by the Treasury." The "budget for Health ministries was laughable when compared to that for the Ministry of Education", he says. This is not the first shortage that Kenya has suffered in recent years. Antibiotics used to treat cholera "were nearly exhausted due to last year's outbreak".

Still, Nyong'o is confident that disaster will be avoided. He says, "I do not envisage any crisis because the government is already adding stocks to what is already there in the health facilities. That is mere replenishment."

Ogo, Kenneth. "Children's malaria drugs run out." Daily Nation. 7 January 2010.