The Profile of Non-Communicable Disease in Patients Admitted into the Children's Medical Ward of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital
port harcourt med. J
;
2(3): 204-210, 2008.
Article
in English
| AIM
| ID: biblio-1274045
ABSTRACT
Background:
The prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCD) is increasing in recent years in low income countries in sub-Saharan Africa because of changing disease patterns following socioeconomic development. Nevertheless; communicable diseases (CD) still remain the predominant health problem. At present; non-communicable diseases are not a high priority in sub-Saharan Africa but the probability of death from a NCD is higher in sub-Saharan Africa than in the developed world. It is therefore important to know the existing disease burden due to NCD with a view to alerting policy makers and health workers of the trend of disease in our environment.Objectives:
To determine the pattern of admission of paediatric patients seen at the children's ward of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and ascertain the pattern of non communi- cable diseases.Methods:
The study was retrospective and involved analysis of data from the admission records of the children's wards of the UPTH from February 2004-November 2005. Patients with non-communicable diseases were analysed for this study.Results:
A total of two thousand four hundred and fourteen (2414) children were admitted during the period of study. Out of these; 479 (19.8) had non-communicable diseases consisting of 279 (58.2) males and 200 (41.8) females with a male female ratio of 1.41. The top five non-communicable diseases were sickle cell disease (SCD) (17.1); malignancies (14.8); renal diseases (12.9); tetanus (10.2) and malnutrition (10.0).Conclusion:
This study suggests a concomitant rise in NCD with four of them being among the top 10 disease burden when combined with communicable diseases. This poses a risk of a 'double burden' of disease which we cannot afford in our country which is fraught with poor government policies; poverty and poor funding of the health sector. Effective strategies are needed to control the risk factors for NCD
Search on Google
Index:
AIM (Africa)
Main subject:
Patient Admission
/
Child
/
Child Health Services
/
Chronic Disease
Type of study:
Risk factors
Language:
English
Journal:
Port harcourt med. J
Year:
2008
Type:
Article
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS