African
Journals OnLine
East African Medical Journal
Volume 80 No 1
January 2003
ABSTRACTS
COMPARISON OF
VACCINATION STATUS OF CHILDREN BORN IN HEALTH UNITS AND THOSE BORN AT HOME
A. Odiit, Paediatrician and B. Amuge,
Senior Nursing Officer and Health Visitor, Jinja Hospital,Uganda
Request for
reprints to: Dr. A. Odiit, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Mulago
Hospital, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda
ABSTRACT
Background: The Expanded
Programme of Immunisation schedule starts at birth, yet a significant number of child births in Uganda occur at home, where there are no
vaccines. A child born at home may therefore have less chances of being
vaccinated than a child born in a health unit.
Objectives: To investigate
vaccination status of the under-fives and to establish whether vaccination
status of children born in health units is better than those born at home.
Design: Cross-sectional
descriptive.
Setting: Paediatrics
out-patient clinic of Jinja Hospital, a regional referral health facility in
Eastern Uganda.
Methods: Children under
five years were enrolled consecutively as they arrived at the registration
desk. The child health card and physical examination for BCG scar were used to
establish the vaccination status of each child. A structured questionnaire was
used for collecting relevant data.
Results: Of the 486
children sampled, 79 had been born at home, and 407 had been born in health
units. Overall, 68% of the children were fully vaccinated for age. A child born
in a health unit was significantly more likely to have a BCG scar (p = 0.0087),
and to be upto date with their vaccination (p = 0.0173), compared to a child
born at home. Vaccine drop-out rate was similarly high irrespective of whether
the children were born at home or in health units.
Conclusion: Being born at
home was found to be a risk factor for incomplete or non-vaccination.
Continuation of vaccination was similarly poor in children born at home and
those born in health units.
PRIMARY
HEALTH CARE, SELECTIVE OR COMPREHENSIVE, WHICH WAY TO GO?
E.M. Obimbo,
MBChB, MMed, Lecturer, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, College of
Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676, Nairobi, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Objective: To critically
review the advantages and disadvantages of selective versus comprehensive
Primary Health Care(PHC) approaches as a strategy towards improving health in
the developing world.
Data sources: Review of
literature on PHC.
Data selection: Relevant papers
from western and developing world literature.
Data extraction: Search of Pub-med,
WHO/UNICEF reports, and relevant publications on
PHC.
Data synthesis: Examination of
principles behind PHC and practical experiences in PHC in the developing world.
Conclusions: Selective PHC
programs have improved specific aspects of health, frequently at the expense of
other health sectors, but fail to address an individual’s health in holistic
manner, or the health infrastructure of countries. Selective PHC programs tend
to focus only on a small subset of the community. Comprehensive PHC is expensive
to implement, however addresses health of individuals more holistically,
addresses both preventive and curative health care, and promotes health
infrastructure development and community involvement, thereby providing more
sustainable improvement of health in the whole community.
DAILY VERSUS
WEEKLY IRON SUPPLEMENTATION AND PREVENTION OF IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA IN
LACTATING WOMEN
J. Haidar, MD, Ethiopian Health and
Nutrition Research Institute, P.O. Box 5654, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
A.M. Omwega, PhD
N.M. Muroki, PhD,
Applied Human Nutrition Programme, Department of Food Technology and Nutrition,
University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 442, Uthiru, Kenya
G. Ayana, MSc,
Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, P.O. Box,5654, Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia
Request for
reprints to: Dr. A.M. Omwega, Applied Human Nutrition Programme, Department of
Food Technology and Nutrition, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 442, Uthiru,
Nairobi, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Objective: To demonstrate
the effectivene |