June 09-41-2.indd - Kma.org.kw

180KUWAIT MEDICAL JOURNAL June 2009WHO-Facts Sheet1. Childhood Diarrhea2. Addressing Mental Disorders in Children3. More People Dying from TB are HIV-infected4. Drug Resistance Could Set Back Malaria Successes5. Climate Change Global Risks, Challenges and DecisionsCompiled and edited byBabichan K ChandyKuwait Medical Journal 2009, 41 (2): 180-1841. CHILDHOOD DIARRHEAAn Inconvenience for Some, A Death Threat forMany; A Major Priority for ResearchThe World Health Organization (WHO), inconsultation with global experts, has identifiedpriorities for research on diarrhea - the cause of almost20% of child deaths globally. The list of researchquestions focus on how to make the best use ofinterventions that are available today, in order to makethe most difference, and ultimately save as manychildren’s lives as possible.Each year, nearly two million children die fromdiarrhea. If childhood diarrhea is not addressedurgently, the world will fail to achieve the fourthMillennium Development Goal (MDG4) target ofreducing child deaths by two-thirds by 2015.Despite the persistently high burden of disease,research into childhood diarrhea has been steadilydecreasing since the 1980s. Funds available for researchinto diarrhea are much lower than those devoted toother diseases that cause comparatively few deaths.While a lot is already known about effectivetreatments for diarrhea, we still lack critical knowledgeon how to make sure the children who need it mostget access to that treatment. WHO has led a processto identify which types of research are most neededand would have greatest impact on mortality. Theresulting top 20% of research questions are mainlytargeted at better understanding the barriers toimplementation, effectiveness and optimizing theuse of available interventions and programmes suchas Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) and zinc, exclusivebreastfeeding and the integrated management ofchildhood illness. The life-saving treatment fordiarrhea is simple: (ORS) and zinc tablets. ORS isessentially a pinch of salt and a handful of sugar mixedwith clean water. The cost of treating a child with ORSand zinc is approximately US$0.30 (€0.25, £0.20).Children in poor countries get diarrhea on averagefour times per year - each of these episodes can be lifethreatening.ORS and zinc bring the risk of death downto almost zero. More than 50 million children’s liveshave been saved by ORS since its creation 25 years ago,which has meant a large chunk of the adult populationin developing countries is alive today as a result of thischeap, easily prepared solution. The great challengewe now face is how to reach all children who are stillsuffering and dying from diarrhea.For more information contact:Olivia Lawe-Davies,Communications Officer, Child and Adolescent Health andDevelopment, WHO, Geneva. Telephone: +41 22 791 1209;Mobile: +41 794 755 545; Email: lawedavieso@who.int2. ADDRESSING MENTALDISORDERS IN CHILDRENOn the occasion of World Autism Day on 2 nd April,the World Health Organization (WHO) reaffirmed itscommitment to provide technical assistance to memberstates to deliver integrated health services to peoplewith autism and other mental and developmentaldisorders of childhood.Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Assistant Director-Generalfor Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Healthsaid “ It is a deep concern that the global burden ofdisease attributed to mental disorders continuesAddress correspondence to:Office of the Spokesperson, WHO, Geneva. Tel.: (+41 22) 791 2599; Fax (+41 22) 791 4858; Email: inf@who.int; Web site: http://www.who.int/