Ludhiana, March 3
Every year more than 10 million children die in developing countries before they reach their fifth birthday. As many as 70 per cent of these deaths are due to diseases like acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea, measles, malaria and malnutrition and often a combination of these illnesses. This information was given by Dr Manorma Verma, a child specialist, in her opening speech during the inaugural session of the week-long workshop on Integrated Management of neo-natal and childhood illnesses (IMNCI) at Christian Medical College and Hospital here today.
The workshop is being conducted to train the senior faculty members of the five medical colleges of India selected by the WHO, UNICEF and Government of India as an integrated approach to check the mortality rate among the children in developing countries. Dr Manorma Verma, who is also the national facilitator and coordinator for IMNCI in India, added that though many well known programmes like immunisation, oral rehydration solutions, malaria eradication programmes etc had already reduced the incidences of some diseases, an introduction of new strategies and a more integrated approach was needed to manage the sick children for achieving a better outcome.It had to move beyond single disease to overcome health and well-being of the child.
Dr L.S.Chawla, former Vice-Chancellor to Baba Farid University and Central Member of PG Committee, Medical Council of India was the chief
guest. While addressing the audience, he admitted that due to lack of financial support from the government, India had to bring down high child mortality rate. He also appreciated the efforts taken to impart essential paediatric training to manage the most prevailing and preventable diseases to the undergraduate medical students.
Speaking about the IMNCI approach, Dr Rajiv Behal, Representative WHO, said that in mid 90s, WHO, in collaboration with UNICEF, took up this challenge by developing a strategy known as IMNCI. The objective of organising the workshop was to reduce death and frequency and severity of the illness and to contribute to improved growth and development of children. He said, “In India, a national training package has been developed whereby the first week of life has also been included as almost two third number of deaths occur in the first week of life”.
The five medical colleges of India were chosen by the Ministry of Health, Government of India, in July 2001. The selected faculty had also undergone an intensive international training on IMNCI in Yangon, Myanmar. The training course is designed to teach the case management process to doctors and medical students who diagnosed the sick infants and children at the first level facility such as clinics, health centers, dispensaries etc.
Dr Manorma Verma, Dr Rajiv Behal, Dr S.Bhatnagar and Dr Jugesh Chhatwal would conduct training sessions for senior faculty members of CMCH Ludhiana, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Sion, Mumbai, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal and Ramaih Medical College, Bangalore.
