[ad_1]
New Delhi, November 9 (IANS): India tops the list of 15 countries with the highest number of deaths from pneumonia and diarrhea among children under five years of age in 2016, according to a report.
But because of the increasing coverage of the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine and the continued extension of rotavirus vaccine, introduced for the first time in mid-2016, as well as zinc supplementation , India has made progress in pneumonia and diarrhea interventions by one percentage point.
The 2018 progress report on pneumonia and diarrhea prepared by the International Center for Vaccine Access (IVAC) of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health showed that in India coverage of Hib and Rotavirus vaccines increased by eight and nine points, while coverage was 20%.
In contrast, other treatment indicators decreased: coverage with ORS (-13 percentage points), exclusive bad-feeding (-10) and access to pneumonia care ( -4).
Worldwide, pneumonia and diarrhea are responsible for 1.36 million deaths of children under the age of five in 2016, more than two-thirds of the global mortality burden due to cancer. pneumonia and diarrhea occurring in only 15 countries, including India.
Despite significant reductions in disease in recent years and improved access to and use of health interventions, nearly half a million deaths from pneumonia and Diarrhea still occurred in India and Nigeria.
"Progress in tackling child mortality is hindered by persistent inequities in countries around the world," said Kate O'Brien, a professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of International Health.
"The fight against inequality will require greater levels of funding, strong political commitment, accountability supported by better data, and a coordinated global effort prioritizing the most vulnerable," she added.
The report badyzes how countries are delivering ten essential interventions – badfeeding, immunization, access to care, use of antibiotics, oral rehydration solution, and zinc supplementation – to help protect , prevent and treat pneumonia and diarrhea.
These measures have been shown to prevent deaths from these diseases and could contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of reducing under-five mortality to at least 25 years. per 1,000 live births by 2030.
According to the report, health systems fail to ensure that the most vulnerable children have access to prevention and treatment services in the five countries that make up 70% of the population. deaths worldwide due to pneumonia and diarrhea in children under five.
[ad_2]
Source link
