“Let them thrive!”- World Prematurity Day 2017

Let them thrive!
• Quality of care for the smallest
• Improving care for the smallest
• Respectful care for the smallest
World Prematurity Day is observed on November 17 each year. It aims to raise awareness about the issues associated with preterm birth.

Premature birth is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five worldwide. Babies born too early may have more health issues than babies born on time, and may face long-term health problems that affect the brain, the lungs, hearing or vision. World Prematurity Day on November 17 raises awareness of this serious health crisis. Throughout the month we draw attention to the lifesaving research, treatments and community support made possible when we work together to give every baby a fighting chance.  (Marchofdimes) 

Preterm births rising globally

An estimated 15 million babies are born preterm every year – more than 1 in 10 babies around the world and this number is rising. Preterm birth complications are the leading cause of death for children under 5, causing an estimated 1 million deaths in 2015 globally. Many survivors of preterm birth face a lifetime of disability, including learning disabilities and visual and hearing problems.
Preterm birth (born before 37 weeks of pregnancy) and being small for gestational age, which are the reasons for low-birth-weight (LBW), are also important indirect causes of neonatal deaths. LBW contributes to 60% to 80% of all neonatal deaths. The global prevalence of LBW is 15.5%, which amounts to about 20 million LBW infants born each year, 96.5% of them in developing countries.
Countries can reduce their neonatal and infant mortality rates by improving the care for the mother during pregnancy and childbirth and of LBW infants. Experience from developed and low- and middle-income countries has clearly shown that appropriate care of LBW infants, including their feeding, temperature maintenance, hygienic cord and skin care, and early detection and treatment of infections and complications including respiratory distress syndrome can substantially reduce mortality.  WHO

Preterm Birth Estimates (2015)

Source of Data

Women and diabetes – our right to a healthy future – World Diabetes Day 2017

World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by IDF and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. World Diabetes Day became an official
United Nations Day in 2006 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225. WDD is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries. The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public and political spotlight. The campaign is represented by a blue circle logo that was adopted in 2007 after the passage of the UN Resolution on diabetes. The blue circle is the global symbol for diabetes awareness. It signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes epidemic.

IDF

Key messages (The International Diabetes Federation)

All women with diabetes require affordable and equitable access to care and education to better manage their diabetes and improve their health outcomes.

Supporting facts

• There are currently over 199 million women living with diabetes. This total is projected to increase to 313 million by 2040.
• Two out of every five women with diabetes are of reproductive age, accounting for over 60 million women worldwide.
• Diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women globally, causing 2.1 million deaths per year.
• Women with type 2 diabetes are almost 10 times more likely to have coronary heart disease than women without the condition.
• Women with type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of early miscarriage or having a baby with malformations.

What needs to be done

• Health systems must pay adequate attention to the specific needs and priorities of women. 
• All women with diabetes should have access to the essential diabetes medicines and technologies, self-management education and information they need to achieve optimal diabetes outcomes. 
• All women with diabetes should have access to pre-conception planning services to reduce risk during pregnancy. 
• All women and girls should have access to physical activity to improve their health outcomes. 

Pregnant women require improved access to screening, care and education to achieve positive health outcomes for mother and child.

Supporting facts

• 1 in 7 births is affected by gestational diabetes.
• IDF estimates that 20.9 million or 16.2% of live births to women in 2015 had some form of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. Approximately half of women with a history of GDM go on to develop type 2 diabetes within five to ten years after delivery.
• Half of all cases of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy occur in women under the age of 30.
• The vast majority of cases of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy were in low- and middle-income countries, where access to maternal care is often limited.

What needs to be done

• Type 2 diabetes prevention strategies must focus on maternal health and nutrition and other health behaviours before and during pregnancy, as well as infant and early childhood nutrition.
• Antenatal care visits during pregnancy must be optimised for health promotion in young women and early detection of diabetes and GDM.
• Screening for diabetes and GDM should be integrated into other maternal health interventions and services at primary healthcare level to ensure early detection, better care for women and reduced maternal mortality.
• Healthcare workers should be trained in the identification, treatment, management and follow up of diabetes during pregnancy.

Women and girls are key agents in the adoption of healthy lifestyles to improve the health and wellbeing of future generations.

Supporting facts

• Up to 70% of cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented through the adoption of a healthy lifestyle.
• 70% of premature deaths among adults are largely due to behavior initiated during adolescence.
• Women, as mothers, have a huge influence over the long-term health status of their children.
• Research has shown that when mothers are granted greater control over resources, they allocate more to food, children’s health and nutrition, and education.
• Women are the gatekeepers of household nutrition and lifestyle habits and therefore have the potential to drive prevention from the household and beyond.

What needs to be done

• Women and girls should be empowered with easy and equitable access to knowledge and resources to strengthen their capacity to prevent type 2 diabetes in their families and better safeguard their own health.
• Promoting opportunities for physical exercise in adolescent girls, particularly in developing countries, must be a priority for diabetes prevention.

Source of Info: (The International Diabetes Federation)

Women and diabetes – our right to a healthy future – World Diabetes Day 2017

Women and diabetes – our right to a healthy future – World Diabetes Day 2017

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HERD International

Promoting health through the life-course: World Pneumonia Day 2017

World Pneumonia Day

12 November 2017

World Pneumonia Day brings people from all over the world together uniting to demand that something be done to fight the pneumonia illness. World Pneumonia Day helps to highlight the severity of pneumonia and encourages more organisations to look at ways of combating the disease. This day was first hosted in 2009 when over 100 organisations joined to form the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia. It’s marked every year on 12 November to:

• Raise awareness about pneumonia, the world’s leading killer of children under the age of five;
• Promote interventions to protect against, prevent and treat pneumonia; and
• Generate action to combat pneumonia.

Pneumonia is one of the most solvable problems in global health and yet a child dies from the infection every 20 seconds. Together we can ensure the fight against pneumonia is won. 

World Health Organization 

This year, the theme of World Pneumonia Day is “Stop Pneumonia: Invest in Child health.” 

Pneumonia Statistics in Nepal 

In FY 2072/73, a total of 1,916,250 ARI cases were registered and out of them 22.7 percent were classified and treated for pneumonia (severe pneumonia and pneumonia). The incidence of pneumonia at national level was 147/1000 under five year’s children which was significantly lower than previous two years.
Further, percentage of severe pneumonia decreased to 0.3 percent in FY 2072/73 at National level and is maintained below 1 percent over the last three years. At the regional level also it is below 1 percent during the last three years.

In terms of disease types among inpatients and outpatient services in 2072/73: the number one airborne disease was pneumonia (organism unspecified) (8,909 cases) followed by pneumonia (unspecified) (3,559 cases) & the number one airborne disease cause of death was pneumonia (unspecified organism) (134).

Nepal government launches CB-IMNCI Program to control pneumonia. CB-IMNCI is an integration of
 CB-IMCI and CB-NCP Program that is being implemented across the country after the decision of MoH on
2071/6/28 (October 14, 2015). This integrated package of child survival intervention addresses the major
problem of sick new born such as birth asphyxia, bacterial infection, jaundice, hypothermia, low birth weight,
counselling of breastfeeding. Among the age group of 2 months to 59 months children, it addresses major
childhood illnesses like pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, measles and malnutrition in a holistic way.
In addition, Female Community Health Volunteers advocate healthy behaviour by mothers and community
people to promote child health & treat pneumonia cases, refer serious cases to health institution.

Source of Info: DoHS annual report

Key facts (WHO)

• Pneumonia accounts for 16% of all deaths of children under 5 years old, killing 920136 children in 2015.
• Pneumonia can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi.
• Pneumonia can be prevented by immunization, adequate nutrition, and by addressing environmental factors.
• Pneumonia caused by bacteria can be treated with antibiotics, but only one third of children with pneumonia receive the antibiotics they need.

Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs. The lungs are made up of small sacs called alveoli, which fill with air when a healthy person breathes. When an individual has pneumonia, the alveoli are filled with pus and fluid, which makes breathing painful and limits oxygen intake.
Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide. Pneumonia killed 920 136 children under the age of 5 in 2015, accounting for 16% of all deaths of children under five years old. Pneumonia affects children and families everywhere, but is most prevalent in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Children can be protected from pneumonia, it can be prevented with simple interventions, and treated with low-cost, low-tech medication and care.

Causes

Pneumonia is caused by a number of infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria and fungi. The most common are:

• Streptococcus pneumoniae – the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia in children;
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) – the second most common cause of bacterial pneumonia;
• respiratory syncytial virus is the most common viral cause of pneumonia;
• in infants infected with HIV, Pneumocystis jiroveci is one of the most common causes of pneumonia, responsible for at least one quarter of all pneumonia deaths in HIV-infected infants.

Transmission

Pneumonia can be spread in a number of ways. The viruses and bacteria that are commonly found in a child’s nose or throat, can infect the lungs if they are inhaled. They may also spread via air-borne droplets from a cough or sneeze. In addition, pneumonia may spread through blood, especially during and shortly after birth. More research needs to be done on the different pathogens causing pneumonia and the ways they are transmitted, as this is of critical importance for treatment and prevention.

Presenting features

The presenting features of viral and bacterial pneumonia are similar. However, the symptoms of viral pneumonia may be more numerous than the symptoms of bacterial pneumonia. In children under 5 years of age, who have cough and/or difficult breathing, with or without fever, pneumonia is diagnosed by the presence of either fast breathing or lower chest wall indrawing where their chest moves in or retracts during inhalation (in a healthy person, the chest expands during inhalation). Wheezing is more common in viral infections.
Very severely ill infants may be unable to feed or drink and may also experience unconsciousness, hypothermia and convulsions.

Risk factors

While most healthy children can fight the infection with their natural defences, children whose immune systems are compromised are at higher risk of developing pneumonia. A child’s immune system may be weakened by malnutrition or undernourishment, especially in infants who are not exclusively breastfed.
Pre-existing illnesses, such as symptomatic HIV infections and measles, also increase a child’s risk of contracting pneumonia.
The following environmental factors also increase a child’s susceptibility to pneumonia:

• indoor air pollution caused by cooking and heating with biomass fuels (such as wood or dung)
• living in crowded homes
• parental smoking.

Treatment

Pneumonia should be treated with antibiotics. The antibiotic of choice is amoxicillin dispersable tablets. Most cases of pneumonia require oral antibiotics, which are often prescribed at a health centre. These cases can also be diagnosed and treated with inexpensive oral antibiotics at the community level by trained community health workers. Hospitalization is recommended only for severe cases of pneumonia.

Prevention

Preventing pneumonia in children is an essential component of a strategy to reduce child mortality. Immunization against Hib, pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough (pertussis) is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia.
Adequate nutrition is key to improving children’s natural defences, starting with exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. In addition to being effective in preventing pneumonia, it also helps to reduce the length of the illness if a child does become ill.
Addressing environmental factors such as indoor air pollution (by providing affordable clean indoor stoves, for example) and encouraging good hygiene in crowded homes also reduces the number of children who fall ill with pneumonia.
In children infected with HIV, the antibiotic cotrimoxazole is given daily to decrease the risk of contracting pneumonia.

WHO Media Center: Pneumonia Fact sheet  Updated September 2016

Promoting health through the life-course: World Pneumonia Day 2017

World Quality Day 2017– Celebrating everyday leadership

Thursday 9 November Celebrating Everyday Leadership

World Quality Day is celebrated annually on the second Thursday in November. Many individuals and organisations use World Quality Day as an opportunity to act as quality advocates. 
Quality professionals at all levels display leadership behaviours – from advocating why quality is important to using fact-based thinking to help businesses balance conflicting objectives and targets.
This year, we are celebrating everyday leaders who exhibit the values of the quality profession – a clarity of purpose, a focus on stakeholders, a commitment to do things properly and to objectively evaluate outcomes, along with a passion for continuous improvement.
World Quality Day (#WQD17) is your opportunity to celebrate the achievements of your team and organisation, and recognise those that demonstrate leadership to sustain and improve performance every day of the year.

Every Day Leadership: “Leadership is about how we strive to do our best and how we support others to do their best too. It is a behaviour and a skill to be developed – in the same way the more technical elements of our role – and used daily to help us deliver impact for our organisations.”
Estelle Clark CQP FCQI FRSA, Executive Director of Policy, CQI
Read more: Quality.org