Pakistan's home 'lady health workers' cure pneumonia better than in hospital
London, Nov 11 (ANI): Young children treated at home for severe pneumonia by Pakistan's network of "lady health workers" were more likely to get well than children referred to health facilities, according to a new study.
The finding by researchers from Boston University, Save the Children and the WHO could save thousands of children's lives every year as pneumonia is the leading cause of death of young children around the world.
The researchers found that home-based treatment of severe pneumonia by a corps of trained "lady health workers" in the Haripur district of northern Pakistan, who are armed with five days' worth of oral amoxicillin, reduces treatment delays and failures compared to standard practice: administering one dose of antibiotics and referring a child to a hospital or clinic for intravenous drugs.
Because of the lack of health care facilities in Pakistan and other developing countries, patients have turned increasingly to community health workers, known as CHWs.
"This really is the capstone in a 10-year portfolio of research by which we were trying to provide a scientific rationale for community case-management of pneumonia," said study co-author Dr. Donald Thea, a researcher with Boston University's Centre for Global Health and Development.
He said the study findings are "proof of principal that trained community health workers can identify and manage this very complex disease."
While the research team led by Dr. Salim Sadruddin of Save the Children had set out to show that home-based treatment was equivalent to the current standard-of-care, they instead found that it produced better outcomes.
"If the children are getting the drugs in the community, they're getting them quicker," said Thea, an infectious diseases specialist.
The study has been published online today in The Lancet.
Pakistan's home 'lady health workers' cure pneumonia better than in hospital
---------- Post added at 07:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:34 PM ----------
One fifth of child pneumonia deaths occur in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Nov 11 (APP): Pneumonia is the single biggest cause of child deaths, killing 1.4 million children under five every year globally, and one fifth of all child deaths occur in Pakistan. “Pneumonia kills more children than any other illness, but it is among the most solvable problems in global health, “ Pneumonia expert, Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Dr Shamim Qazi said talking to APP on Friday. He said in Pakistan, community health workers can identify and treat most children with pneumonia at home with simple antibiotics. “If this is confirmed in other settings, we can make treatment much more accessible for families, help governments make the most of limited resources, and save more children’s lives.” He said currently, the WHO recommends that children with non-severe pneumonia are treated at home, but that those with severe pneumonia be given a single dose of antibiotic and referred for treatment in a facility. He however said that the referral to a facility poses problems for many families who cannot afford to pay to get to hospital, or to pay for services once they get there.
He said severe pneumonia is when a child with a cough also has chest indrawing, like the chest moves in as the child inhales whereas in a healthy child the chest expands during inhalation.
Dr Qazi said difficulties with referral compliance are reported in many low-resource settings, resulting in low access to appropriate treatment.
He said Lady Health Workers (LHWs) are able to identify and treat children with sever pneumonia at home, avoiding the need to go to hospitals.
He said according to the study conducted in Haripur, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, children with severe pneumonia, who were treated by LHWs at home with simple, oral antibiotics were more likely to get well than children who were referred to a health facility.
He added the objective of the study was to assess whether community case management by LHWs with oral amoxicillin in children with severe pneumonia was equivalent to current standard of care.
Dr Shamim Qazi, who is also co-author of the Lancet paper said that the study will be published in the international medical journal on the eve of World Pneumonia Day, which will be observed on November 12.
It is pertinent to mention here that the antibiotics needed to treat a child with pneumonia cost less than Rs 50, but it’s estimated that only 30% of sick children get the treatment they need.
Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - One fifth of child pneumonia deaths occur in Pakistan
London, Nov 11 (ANI): Young children treated at home for severe pneumonia by Pakistan's network of "lady health workers" were more likely to get well than children referred to health facilities, according to a new study.
The finding by researchers from Boston University, Save the Children and the WHO could save thousands of children's lives every year as pneumonia is the leading cause of death of young children around the world.
The researchers found that home-based treatment of severe pneumonia by a corps of trained "lady health workers" in the Haripur district of northern Pakistan, who are armed with five days' worth of oral amoxicillin, reduces treatment delays and failures compared to standard practice: administering one dose of antibiotics and referring a child to a hospital or clinic for intravenous drugs.
Because of the lack of health care facilities in Pakistan and other developing countries, patients have turned increasingly to community health workers, known as CHWs.
"This really is the capstone in a 10-year portfolio of research by which we were trying to provide a scientific rationale for community case-management of pneumonia," said study co-author Dr. Donald Thea, a researcher with Boston University's Centre for Global Health and Development.
He said the study findings are "proof of principal that trained community health workers can identify and manage this very complex disease."
While the research team led by Dr. Salim Sadruddin of Save the Children had set out to show that home-based treatment was equivalent to the current standard-of-care, they instead found that it produced better outcomes.
"If the children are getting the drugs in the community, they're getting them quicker," said Thea, an infectious diseases specialist.
The study has been published online today in The Lancet.
Pakistan's home 'lady health workers' cure pneumonia better than in hospital
---------- Post added at 07:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:34 PM ----------
One fifth of child pneumonia deaths occur in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Nov 11 (APP): Pneumonia is the single biggest cause of child deaths, killing 1.4 million children under five every year globally, and one fifth of all child deaths occur in Pakistan. “Pneumonia kills more children than any other illness, but it is among the most solvable problems in global health, “ Pneumonia expert, Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Dr Shamim Qazi said talking to APP on Friday. He said in Pakistan, community health workers can identify and treat most children with pneumonia at home with simple antibiotics. “If this is confirmed in other settings, we can make treatment much more accessible for families, help governments make the most of limited resources, and save more children’s lives.” He said currently, the WHO recommends that children with non-severe pneumonia are treated at home, but that those with severe pneumonia be given a single dose of antibiotic and referred for treatment in a facility. He however said that the referral to a facility poses problems for many families who cannot afford to pay to get to hospital, or to pay for services once they get there.
He said severe pneumonia is when a child with a cough also has chest indrawing, like the chest moves in as the child inhales whereas in a healthy child the chest expands during inhalation.
Dr Qazi said difficulties with referral compliance are reported in many low-resource settings, resulting in low access to appropriate treatment.
He said Lady Health Workers (LHWs) are able to identify and treat children with sever pneumonia at home, avoiding the need to go to hospitals.
He said according to the study conducted in Haripur, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, children with severe pneumonia, who were treated by LHWs at home with simple, oral antibiotics were more likely to get well than children who were referred to a health facility.
He added the objective of the study was to assess whether community case management by LHWs with oral amoxicillin in children with severe pneumonia was equivalent to current standard of care.
Dr Shamim Qazi, who is also co-author of the Lancet paper said that the study will be published in the international medical journal on the eve of World Pneumonia Day, which will be observed on November 12.
It is pertinent to mention here that the antibiotics needed to treat a child with pneumonia cost less than Rs 50, but it’s estimated that only 30% of sick children get the treatment they need.
Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - One fifth of child pneumonia deaths occur in Pakistan
