FARIDPUR, Feb 26: About 0.15 million (1.50 lakh) children or 21 per cent in the district of Faridpur have been suffering from lack of nutrition. The children due to lack of nutrition are becoming victims of diarrhoea, pneumonia, fever, cold, cough, septicemia and meningitis.
A total of 1,60,750 children had taken treatment for the diseases in different hospitals and clinics last year. Of them 2005 had died.
The health department and other sources said extreme poverty and lack of awareness resulted in the onset of the disease and subsequent death.
According to the report of upazila based annual geographical survey conducted by the district health department in the early of 2008, the number of children from day one to 14 years of age is 8,60,700. Of them, 1,60,750 children are suffering from lack of nutrition. The survey was conducted by PPSS, an NGO. The PPSS conducted specimen survey on 300 children of 450 families out of 3500 of 30 villages under Kanaipur union under Sadar Upazila for 15 days from December 5 to 20, 2008. The specimen survey reveals that about 21 per cent children are suffering from lack of nutrition. The conditions of 3.25 per cent children are very critical and 17.75 per cent children are in medium condition.
The information from the specimen survey reveals more or less the same picture in the whole district. The children suffering from lack of nutrition are being afflicted by different diseases. According to sources in the district health department 14,500 children had been attacked with diarrhoea during the last one year. On them, three had died. A total of 21,200 children were attacked with pneumonia, of them 21 died.
According to sources in Bhanga health complex 13,100 children suffering from different diseases were given treatment.
Of total 3,120 were admitted to hospitals. Of them 137 children died.
The total affected children including 13,100 from pneumonia, 71,00 with diarrhoea and 502 victims of lack of nutrition. The district health department claims the decrease of the rate of death from pneumonia and diarrhoea was more in 2008 than in 2007.
Residential medical Officer of Bhanga upazila health complex said. Through the rate of diarrhoea affected patients decreased due to increase in awareness, the rate of pneumonia attacked patients has not decreased. The children are being attacked due to lack of nutrition.
