Prevalence Of Pneumonia In Children Aged Five Years Of And Below In Ishaka Adventist Hospital, Uganda

Abstract

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung-affecting primarily the alveoli. It presents with cough, chest pain and difficulty in breathing. It is usually caused by infection with viruses or bacteria and less commonly other microorganisms, certain drugs and other conditions such as autoimmune diseases. It is the leading cause of mortality in children under age of five, contributing 19% of the total deaths and 70% of which occur in sub Saharan Africa. Low socio economic status has been implicated to influence the prevalence of pneumonia. Despite all the great pathogenic scenario it poses, it has attracted little attention in the past decades. The study was conducted between may 2013 and july 2013 to establish the prevalence of pneumonia at Ishaka Adventist Hospital, located in Ishaka town at 77 kilometers from Mbarara along Mbarara kasese road. The study found the prevalence of pneumonia to be 25%. The study also investigated the risk factors influencing the prevalence of pneumonia and I found that; , lack of knowledge about pneumonia, coldness, weaning the children at very young age, exposure of the children to dust, suspected malnutrition and not following immunization schedule were the most serious risk factors implicated. The study therefore recommends that local communities be given education about pneumonia, the effort of the village health teams be intensified, that further laboratory based studies be done to establish the bacterial and viral serotypes and strains causing pneumonia in South-western Uganda. It was noted that majority of the children are exposed to cold for most of their time possibly because the lack what to put on therefore I recommend that these children be supported by the government in any way possible.