Another Sunday (July 4th); another Pulse Polio in many parts of India.
So what is this Pulse Polio & how does it differ from our routine vaccination?
Before we begin, a small story. North Nigeria decided last year to stop Polio vaccination because they felt that Polio drops were a western conspiracy to reduce fertility & spread HIV in Nigerian children! Sounds unbelievable right, but it is true! (Interestingly similar complaints have been heard in some parts of UP & Bihar-areas with the maximum cases of Polio in India at present). Stopping Polio vaccination has lead to a rapid rise in the number of polio cases in Nigeria & surrounding African countries!
What lessons does this hold for us? We need to aggressively give all the kids (less than 5 years) as many polio drops as suggested by the local health authorities to finish Polio once & for all. Just like finished off Small pox 30 years ago.
Pulse Polio Facts:
1. Every child (newborn to 5 years) needs pulse polio! Irrespective of whether they have been given routine polio drops or not.
2. Pulse polio protects the whole area from Polio, not just your child. This means that by giving it sincerely the whole country will become Polio free!
3. Mild cold, fever & loose motions should not be used as an excuse to avoid Polio drops
4. Pulse Polio is to be given according to your local schedule. This means that not all campaigns would involve your child, for example in the present round Punjab & Chandigarh were not involved in polio vaccination. Ask your pediatrician or contact us if you are living in Chandigarh or its surroundings.
Pulse Polio Myths
1. Pulse Polio does not cause any disease, neither HIV, nor serility, nor POLIO. It is the same polio drops that we give during routine immunization, but given to all children in an area on 1 specific date.
2. Pulse Polio cannot be given later if missed. This is because the logic behind Pulse Polio is to remove the Polio virus from circulation & this is only possible by giving the vaccine to the entire population on a single day. You may take the dose within the next 2-3 days but not later.
For more information on baby care issues, visit Charak clinics
Monday, July 05, 2004
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Obesity: Yeh dil maange more
Welcome to India; did you know that 1 in 5 children in our well- to-do schools are overweight?
We are soon going to top the world in diabetes & heart diseases. This is good news for a lot of people.... the drug companies, fast food makers, hotels & restaurants, but disconcerting news for us parents & peditricians.
So how do we prevent Obesity in our kids?
1. Lifestyle changes: No to DIETING; yes to NUTRITION; meaning more healthy foods like vegetables, fruits & whole grain cereals, avoid pre-packaged snacks, ice-creams & chocolates. Decrease eating out and fatty foods.
Think of a day's consumption like an Indian 'Thali' (plate of food) wherein a quarter is carbohydrate cereal (like rice & chappati), another quarter is protein like Milk, egg, dal, meat etc., while the other 50% should be salads, fruits & vegetables. Fried snacks & sweets should be reserved for a few special occasions.
2. Increase physical activity: Involve hildren by asking them to walk or cycle to school, engage in extracurricular play etc. If they do not like team sports, individual sports like dancing & martial arts can be encouraged.
3. Decrease sedentary behaviour: Most importantly TV viewing should be restricted to 1 hour on school days; 2 hours on the weekends. Computers & tuitions should be discouraged during evening play hours.
These are just the tip of the measures needed to conrol obesity. We as pediatricians & parents have a great role to play in keeping our children healthy.
Encourage your doctor to record children's weight & height on a chart during each visit & let you know if your kids are at risk for obesity.
Remember 'chubby' is not cute; & 'overweight' is not healthy!
For more baby problems log on to Charak clinics
We are soon going to top the world in diabetes & heart diseases. This is good news for a lot of people.... the drug companies, fast food makers, hotels & restaurants, but disconcerting news for us parents & peditricians.
So how do we prevent Obesity in our kids?
1. Lifestyle changes: No to DIETING; yes to NUTRITION; meaning more healthy foods like vegetables, fruits & whole grain cereals, avoid pre-packaged snacks, ice-creams & chocolates. Decrease eating out and fatty foods.
Think of a day's consumption like an Indian 'Thali' (plate of food) wherein a quarter is carbohydrate cereal (like rice & chappati), another quarter is protein like Milk, egg, dal, meat etc., while the other 50% should be salads, fruits & vegetables. Fried snacks & sweets should be reserved for a few special occasions.
2. Increase physical activity: Involve hildren by asking them to walk or cycle to school, engage in extracurricular play etc. If they do not like team sports, individual sports like dancing & martial arts can be encouraged.
3. Decrease sedentary behaviour: Most importantly TV viewing should be restricted to 1 hour on school days; 2 hours on the weekends. Computers & tuitions should be discouraged during evening play hours.
These are just the tip of the measures needed to conrol obesity. We as pediatricians & parents have a great role to play in keeping our children healthy.
Encourage your doctor to record children's weight & height on a chart during each visit & let you know if your kids are at risk for obesity.
Remember 'chubby' is not cute; & 'overweight' is not healthy!
For more baby problems log on to Charak clinics
Friday, July 02, 2004
Healthy criticism: Health care in the villages?
A study published in a renowned international journal (Lancet, May 2004) has shown that in rural Rajasthan 41% of 'doctors' do NOT have a medical degree.
Whats more, 68% of clinic visits lead to an injection being given, while only 4 % of cases are investigated.
Almost 45 % of Govt staff are absent from primary health centres, while the health centres themselves are closed for a whopping 56% of the time during regular hours! I knew that our halthcare in the villages was bad, but still this is a real eye opener.
The per capita spending on health of India ($ 4) is far less than even neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka ($ 15) & Bhutan ($ 8).
Thought for the day
Can we really hope to be a developed nation by neglecting our citizen's fundamental right to health?
Whats more, 68% of clinic visits lead to an injection being given, while only 4 % of cases are investigated.
Almost 45 % of Govt staff are absent from primary health centres, while the health centres themselves are closed for a whopping 56% of the time during regular hours! I knew that our halthcare in the villages was bad, but still this is a real eye opener.
The per capita spending on health of India ($ 4) is far less than even neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka ($ 15) & Bhutan ($ 8).
Thought for the day
Can we really hope to be a developed nation by neglecting our citizen's fundamental right to health?
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