Vol 44 # 4 December 2012 - Kma.org.kw

December 2012
KUWAIT MEDICAL JOURNAL 366
linked. More than three million newborn babies die
every year, and an additional 2.6 million babies are
stillborn.
How can women’s lives be saved?
Most maternal deaths are avoidable, as the healthcare
solutions to prevent or manage complications are
well known. All women need access to antenatal care in
pregnancy, skilled care during childbirth, and care and
support in the weeks after childbirth. It is particularly
important that all births are attended by skilled health
professionals, as timely management and treatment
can make the difference between life and death.
Severe bleeding after birth can kill a healthy woman
within two hours if she is unattended. Injecting oxytocin
immediately after childbirth effectively reduces the
risk of bleeding.
Infection after childbirth can be eliminated, if good
hygiene is practiced, and if, early signs of infection are
recognized and treated in a timely manner.
Pre-eclampsia should be detected and appropriately
managed before the onset of convulsions (eclampsia)
and other life-threatening complications. Administering
drugs such as magnesium sulfate for pre-eclampsia
can lower a woman’s risk of developing eclampsia.
To avoid maternal deaths, it is also vital to prevent
unwanted and too-early pregnancies. All women,
including adolescents, need access to family planning,
safe abortion services to the full extent of the law, and
quality post-abortion care.
Why do women not get the care they need?
Poor women in remote areas are the least likely to
receive adequate health care. While levels of antenatal
care have increased in many parts of the world during
the past decade, only 46% of women in low-income
countries benefit from skilled care during childbirth.
This means that millions of births are not assisted by
a midwife, a doctor or a trained nurse. In high-income
countries, virtually all women have at least four
antenatal care visits, are attended by a skilled health
worker during childbirth and receive postpartum
care. In low-income countries, just over a third of
all pregnant women have the recommended four
antenatal care visits.
Other factors that prevent women from receiving
or seeking care during pregnancy and childbirth are:
• poverty
• distance
• lack of information
• inadequate services and
• cultural practices.
To improve maternal health, barriers that limit
access to quality maternal health services must be
identified and addressed at all levels of the health
system.
For more information contact:
WHO Media centre. Telephone: +41 22 791 2222. E-mail:
mediainquiries@who.int
4. DIARRHEAL DISEASE
Definition
Diarrhea is defined as the passage of three or
more loose or liquid stools per day (or more frequent
passage than is normal for the individual). Frequent
passing of formed stools is not Diarrhea, nor is the
passing of loose, “pasty” stools by breastfed babies.
Diarrhea is usually a symptom of an infection in the
intestinal tract, which can be caused by a variety of
bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms. Infection is
spread through contaminated food or drinking-water,
or from person-to-person as a result of poor hygiene.
Diarrheal disease is treatable with a solution of clean
water, sugar and salt, and with zinc tablets.
Diarrheal disease is the second leading cause
of death in children under five years old, and is
responsible for killing 1.5 million children every year.
Diarrhea can last several days, and can leave the body
without the water and salts that are necessary for
survival. Most people who die from Diarrhea actually
die from severe dehydration and fluid loss. Children
who are malnourished or have impaired immunity are
most at risk of life-threatening diarrhea.
KEY FACTS
• Diarrheal disease is the second leading cause of
death in children under five years old. It is both
preventable and treatable.
• Diarrheal disease kills 1.5 million children every
year.
• Globally, there are about two billion cases of
Diarrheal disease every year.
• Diarrheal disease mainly affects children under
two years old.
• Diarrhea is a leading cause of malnutrition in
children under five years old.
There are three clinical types of Diarrhea:
- acute watery Diarrhea – lasts several hours or
days, and includes cholera;
- acute bloody Diarrhea – also called dysentery;
and
- persistent Diarrhea – lasts 14 days or longer.
Scope of Diarrheal disease
Every year, there are about two billion cases of
Diarrheal disease worldwide. Diarrheal disease is a
leading cause of child mortality and morbidity in the
world, and mostly results from contaminated food and
water sources. Worldwide, around 1 billion people
lack access to improved water and 2.5 billion have no