Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.gov.bw/cgi-bin/news.cgi?d=20080618&i=Silent_killer_on_the_loose
Silent killer on the loose
18 June, 2008
GABORONE - More and more children are falling sick with Pneumonia in the country, but most parents do not have a clue what the disease is.
This is the case even though parents are given free lessons about various diseases and how they can be prevented.
A nurse at Block 8 clinic in Gaborone said their efforts are not having the desired effect because of poor attendance.
Sometimes there would be just four people in attendance during the lessons.
Most mothers arrive when the lessons are over.
She said changing the time of the lessons would not help as the mothers are always not the ones who are sick and wanted to be helped in a hurry.
Ms Emmah Munatsi is one of the mothers who is not sure whether her four-year-old child has Pneumonia, dubbed the biggest killer of children by UNICEF in its latest report.
She is too scared to find out once and for all if the persistent cough that her daughter has could be it. She does not know what she would do if she has the disease.
Munatsi said she only heard of Pneumonia at a private hospital four years ago when she was pregnant. She was cautioned at the time not to eat ice as her baby might catch pneumonia.
For his part, Mr Boipuso Kelebeng has a seven-month-old son who is a regular guest at medical facilities in the city. He was told the child has pneumonia, but does not know what the disease is.
I have heard of it, but I dont know what it is or its symptoms. When our son is down and doesnt look happy, we know we have to take him for medical attention.
These are not isolated cases. Ms Silvia Seamo heard of the disease for the first time when her eight-months-old baby was diagnosed with it last year.
I thought my baby had flu and bought him a Panado from a pharmacy. I was surprised when the flu did not go away. It was only after I took him to a private doctor that I heard of pneumonia, she recalled.
Unicef says in the report, The state of the worlds children 2008 that the disease, the world over, kills more children than malaria, AIDS and measles combined.
To make matters worse, it says children suffering from illnesses, such as measles, or those living with HIV, are more likely to develop pneumonia.
Exposure to the disease can also be due to environmental factors such as living in crowded homes, cigarette smoke or pollutted air. In childhood, pneumonia and malaria have major overlaps in terms of symptoms, the requirements for their effective management and the feasibility of providing care in the community.
...In very young children, it may be impossible to tell whether a high fever, coughing and fast breathing is evidence of either pneumonia or malaria. In such cases children often receive treatment for both, the report says.
Undernourished children, particularly those who are not exclusively breastfed or have inadequate zinc intake, or those with compromised immune systems, run a higher risk of developing pneumonia.
Prevention is as important as cure in reducing child deaths from pneumonia, it says Pneumonia at a glance Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs.
It is caused by a viral infection such as influenza It lowers the immunity of the body.
Symptoms include coughing, fast breathing, struggling for breath, high temperature. In severe cases, the tongue and mouth of the baby turn blue.
The disease mainly affects younger children below two years.
During cold weather, more children get pneumonia and if it does not get attention in time, it could lead to death.
Dr Alex Mushi, a pediatrician at Childrens Clinic, in Gaborone told BOPA that a vaccine called ACT-HIB can be used to prevent young children from getting pneumonia and meningitis.
This vaccine is currently not included in the government immunity boosting vaccines. BOPA
Silent killer on the loose
18 June, 2008
GABORONE - More and more children are falling sick with Pneumonia in the country, but most parents do not have a clue what the disease is.
This is the case even though parents are given free lessons about various diseases and how they can be prevented.
A nurse at Block 8 clinic in Gaborone said their efforts are not having the desired effect because of poor attendance.
Sometimes there would be just four people in attendance during the lessons.
Most mothers arrive when the lessons are over.
She said changing the time of the lessons would not help as the mothers are always not the ones who are sick and wanted to be helped in a hurry.
Ms Emmah Munatsi is one of the mothers who is not sure whether her four-year-old child has Pneumonia, dubbed the biggest killer of children by UNICEF in its latest report.
She is too scared to find out once and for all if the persistent cough that her daughter has could be it. She does not know what she would do if she has the disease.
Munatsi said she only heard of Pneumonia at a private hospital four years ago when she was pregnant. She was cautioned at the time not to eat ice as her baby might catch pneumonia.
For his part, Mr Boipuso Kelebeng has a seven-month-old son who is a regular guest at medical facilities in the city. He was told the child has pneumonia, but does not know what the disease is.
I have heard of it, but I dont know what it is or its symptoms. When our son is down and doesnt look happy, we know we have to take him for medical attention.
These are not isolated cases. Ms Silvia Seamo heard of the disease for the first time when her eight-months-old baby was diagnosed with it last year.
I thought my baby had flu and bought him a Panado from a pharmacy. I was surprised when the flu did not go away. It was only after I took him to a private doctor that I heard of pneumonia, she recalled.
Unicef says in the report, The state of the worlds children 2008 that the disease, the world over, kills more children than malaria, AIDS and measles combined.
To make matters worse, it says children suffering from illnesses, such as measles, or those living with HIV, are more likely to develop pneumonia.
Exposure to the disease can also be due to environmental factors such as living in crowded homes, cigarette smoke or pollutted air. In childhood, pneumonia and malaria have major overlaps in terms of symptoms, the requirements for their effective management and the feasibility of providing care in the community.
...In very young children, it may be impossible to tell whether a high fever, coughing and fast breathing is evidence of either pneumonia or malaria. In such cases children often receive treatment for both, the report says.
Undernourished children, particularly those who are not exclusively breastfed or have inadequate zinc intake, or those with compromised immune systems, run a higher risk of developing pneumonia.
Prevention is as important as cure in reducing child deaths from pneumonia, it says Pneumonia at a glance Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs.
It is caused by a viral infection such as influenza It lowers the immunity of the body.
Symptoms include coughing, fast breathing, struggling for breath, high temperature. In severe cases, the tongue and mouth of the baby turn blue.
The disease mainly affects younger children below two years.
During cold weather, more children get pneumonia and if it does not get attention in time, it could lead to death.
Dr Alex Mushi, a pediatrician at Childrens Clinic, in Gaborone told BOPA that a vaccine called ACT-HIB can be used to prevent young children from getting pneumonia and meningitis.
This vaccine is currently not included in the government immunity boosting vaccines. BOPA