In developing countries such as Pakistan, diarrhoea continues to be a major killer of children during the first five years of life. A seminar organised at Agha Khan University (AKU) in collaboration with the University of Maryland (USA) highlighted the role of systematic medical research and the development of new vaccines to tackle the huge burden of diarrhoea related deaths.
The Director of the internationally renowned Centre for Vaccine Development, University of Maryland, Dr Myron M Levine, and Associate Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health, AKU, Dr Anita Zaidi, were the guest speakers at this seminar.
Levine discussed his experience estimating the burden of moderate to severe diarrhoea in seven different population based studies across the sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with an ultimate goal of promoting, developing and implementing vaccines against diseases linked to diarrhoea.
Zaidi highlighted the burden of diarrhoea in Pakistan caused by a virus called rotavirus, which is a highly contagious cause of vomiting and diarrhoea in young children, with almost every child experiencing at least one episode of rotavirus infection before reaching the age of five years.
About 85% of all rotavirus deaths occur in Asia and Africa figuring to more than half a million deaths per year in children of developing countries. This poses great strain on primary care clinics and paediatric hospital wards, as studies have shown that almost 30% of diarrhoea hospitalisation in Pakistan is due to rotavirus. A properly implemented vaccine programme would be a crucial prevention strategy to reduce diarrhoeal deaths in children and to promote the cause of child health in Pakistan.
The AKU, as part of its social responsibility and commitment to the advancement of health research and education, regularly holds seminars, symposiums and events to raise awareness about health and education related issues that are of national importance and interest.-PR
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