Okumura issop 2018

OKUMURA, Junko, NISHIMOTO, F., TIENGKHAM, P., MIYOSHI, M., KANEKO, S. and KOUNNAVONG, S., 2018. Ill-health of Children in the southern rural Lao PDR: A three-year longitudinal study. In: ISSOP2018 - Early Childhood Intervention: Science, Systems and Policies - Promoting Healthy Development of Vulnerable Children [online]. Bonn, Germany: DGSPJ. 27 September 2018. p. 1–120. [Accessed 4 November 2018]. Available from: https://www.issop.org/cmdownloads/okumura-issop-2018/

Background: Health and Demographic Surveillance System initiated by Moji group revealed that infant mortality rate in Xepon area was 65/1000 live births in 2012. This was much higher than the national average in Lao PDR. In order to promote child health where people’s access to health care services were poor, i.e., Xepon district, we have been conducting a longitudinal study.

Method: We collected data on illness episode of under five year children in seven villages. After baseline data collection, village health volunteers (VHV) visited the target household every two weeks. VHVs and data collector asked a series of questions on illness related issues. In addition, anthropometric data have been collected.

Results: Altogether we followed 382,109 person days of 422 children from June 2014 through July 2017. The mean age of children at the end of the study was 4.9 years (95% CI: 4.7-5.2 yrs). The observed total sick days during the study period was 2,804 days. The mean illness duration was 6.6 days. Major symptom was fever, cough, and diarrhea. According to health center and hospital records in the catchment area, significantly more malaria cases were reported in 2014 than the other years. The range of z-score of height for age was -3.67 z-score and -1.36 z-score.

Discussion: Vaccination coverage seems the most powerful factor that associated to child health. The influences of other factors such as nutrition, health seeking behavior, access to health care services, malaria outbreak should be presented.

Authors, Institutions:

Nishimoto F (School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki Univ.) Tiengkham P (Savannakhet Provincial Health Department, Lao PDR) Miyoshi M (Aomori Univ. of Health and Welfare) Kaneko S (Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki Univ.) Kounnavong S (National Institute of Public Health, Lao PDR)

https://www.dgspj.de/wp-content/uploads/ISSOP-2018-Abstract-Okumura.pdf