KARACHI, Dec 28: Experts at the conclusion of a six-day workshop here on Saturday emphasized the need for taking effective measures to combat acute respiratory infection (ARI) and chronic diarrhoeal disease (CDD) among children in the country.

Pakistan, they said, registered 32 per cent of the ARI- induced mortality and 25 per cent of the CDD-related deaths among its under-five children.

The certificate distribution ceremony of the training workshop was held at the paediatrics unit-III of the Civil Hospital Karachi under the National Programme for ARI/CDD Control in coordination with Unicef and the Sindh Programme for ARI/CDD Control.

Lack of public awareness of measures to prevent the two diseases and the inadequate realization of an early referral followed by a tendency among local doctors to resort to an irrational administration of antibiotics were said to be some of the major factors leading to the situation.

Prof Tipu Sultan, Dean Faculty of Medicine, Karachi University, called for a multi-disciplinary approach to contain the prevalence as well as related mortality rates. He suggested the authorities to regularly arrange refresher programmes for health care providers to enable them efficiently handle the two major killer diseases.

Dr Tipu said that it was poor nutritional status of local children, with particular reference to girls, which enhanced their vulnerability to the infections.

“It is high time that health care providers as well as the public are extensively sensitized about the simple strategies to prevent the ailments,” he added.

Prof Mumtaz Hasan, National Coordinator and Programme Manager, ARI/CDD Control Programme, called for sufficient investment by the provincial government on refresher programmes for doctors, lady health workers and paramedics associated with the government as well as private institutions.

“We need to reduce our reliance on foreign donations and realize the severity of the situation,” he observed, mentioning that simple techniques and little caution could effectively change the situation in the larger interest of our children. With reference to the initiatives taken by the government at national level, he said so far more than 10,000 lady health workers from different parts of the country had been trained under the programme.

This, he added, was in addition to several workshops conducted for doctors and paramedics belonging to both public and private sector institutions along with students from private medical colleges.

Prof Iqbal Memon, Coordinator ARI/CDD Control Programme for Sindh, said that 70 to 80 per cent of child patients, visiting government hospitals, were afflicted with the two diseases.

The national strategy closely followed at provincial levels is aimed to early and proper diagnosis with provision for proper treatment at the very initial stages, he said.

With regard to efforts made under the programme for Sindh, he said training sessions were also arranged for homeopath doctors as part of activities materialized for the general practitioners. They were told about the symptoms and modes to identify intensity of the ailment a child might be suffering from.

“The major emphasis is on prevention, proper diagnosis and adequate management,” he said, adding that LHWs were required to create public awareness of breast-feeding which is the most efficient mean to improve children’s immunity against the two infections.

People are also made to realize that nutritional status of children has to be improved and that easily available as well as cost-effective food items are equally good as compared with their expensive alternatives.

Environmental pollution has to be reduced to arrest ARI incidence across the country, particularly in urban centres.

Dr Sheikh, Deputy Coordinator of the programme, said that 2000 general practitioners had been trained along with 1600 LHWs in the province during the last four years.

Non-availability of funds seriously hampered the efforts in this regard during the year 2002, he said, adding that with the support of the federal government the workshop was arranged in which about 25 doctors from the Civil Hospital, Lyari General Hospital, Liaquat National Hospital, Qatar Hospital, Sindh Government Hospital, Ibrahim Hyderi, and many other institutions took part.—PPI