KARACHI, April 4: More than 10 per cent of the city's schoolchildren suffer from various chest diseases. A detailed study, involving more than 7,500 children , has revealed that the children suffer in considerable numbers from bronchitis, emphysema and Hilar Adenitis. Tuberculosis and Pneumonitis are also not uncommon.

The study was undertaken in 21 schools by a consortium of three non-governmental organizations and one private university. Under the study, 7,665 children were examined thoroughly for symptoms of chest diseases.

Eight hundred and ninety children, or 11.6 per cent of the total, were diagnosed as suffering from chest diseases, including cardiomegaly, tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, Hilar Adenitis, scoliosis spine, pneumonitis, hepatomegaly, atelectasis, fluid level stomach, dextrocardia, lung abscess and eventration left hemi diaphragm.

The schools the pupils of which were examined during the study were: Government Girls Secondary School T.K. Jiswani; Government Boys Secondary School Kotwal Building, Government Boys Secondary School Qamrul Islam Punjab Colony, Government Girls Secondary School Qamrul Islam Punjab Colony, Government Boys Primary School Qamrul Islam Punjab Colony, Government Girls Primary School Qamrul Islam Punjab Colony, Al Faisal School Orangi Town, Government Girls Elementary School Shireen Jinnah Colony, MAO Government Boys/Girls Primary and Lower Secondary School, Ida Rue School for Boys and Girls, ABSA School for Boys/ Girls, Government Girls Malir Secondary School, Government Girls Primary and Secondary School P&T Colony, Government Girls Primary School Chanesar Goth, The Citizen Foundation School, George Ludwig Rexroth Primary and Secondary School, Gulshan-i-Farooq Elementary School, Ayesha Primary and Secondary School, Gulshan-i-Yasmeen Academy, Kiran Academy and Jufel Hurst Primary School.

The situation obtaining at the Jufel Hurst School was a particularly interesting one. At this school 532 children were examined, of whom 78 were diagnosed as suffering from chest diseases. Put differently, 14.66 per cent of the children had chest diseases.

Nineteen of the schoolchildren suffered from chronic bronchitis, 17 from emphysema, 12 from cardiomegaly, 18 from hilar adenitis, six from scoliosis spine, four from tuberculosis, one each from pneumonitis and eventration left hemi diaphragm.