Partners:
ideSHi and the Merieux Foundation, France.
Project lead:
Dr. Rofiqur Rahman, Abu Bakar Siddik
Our Goal:
The purpose of the study is to assess the value of the POC tests in the management of moderate-to-severe pneumonia cases in children less than five, as well as the training of caregivers in such crisis settings where access to well-equipped facilities is limited.
Context:
Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide. Pneumonia killed 740 180 children under the age of 5 in 2019, accounting for 14% of all deaths of children under 5 years old but 22% of all deaths in children aged 1 to 5 years. Pneumonia affects children and families everywhere, but deaths are highest in southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Children can be protected from pneumonia, it can be prevented with simple interventions, and it can be treated with low-cost, low-tech medication and care. There were about 932,588 cases of lower respiratory infections among children under five years of age in Bangladesh. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, hosts one of the largest refugee populations globally, with the majority being Rohingya refugees. The crowded and resource-constrained conditions in refugee camps pose significant challenges to healthcare delivery, including the diagnosis and management of childhood pneumonia. In Cox’s Bazar, ideSHi and the Merieux Foundation, France, are conducting a study among the FDMN (Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals) to assess the usefulness of point-of-care (POC) tests, such as automated respiratory rate counters and pulse oximeters, in the improvement of the diagnosis and management of pediatric pneumonia cases.
Impact:
This pilot study among the FDMN population has the potential to make a significant impact on childhood pneumonia case diagnosis and may serve as a model for improving healthcare delivery in other crisis settings globally.
Sources:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/pneumonia
https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare/
