Flipbook onHealth and Wellbeing: Focus on TB, Malaria and Dengue

YoungHealth

Programme

Published by Plan India September 2011

Please feel free to quote, translate, distribute and transmit parts or all of this publication provided that Plan India is acknowledged.

These documents are produced for use in India.

The AstraZeneca Young Health Programme

This publication is a product of the Young Health Programme, AstraZeneca’s global community investment programme.

The Young Health Programme is designed to help disconnected young people around the world deal with the health issues they face, protecting their health now and improving their chances for a better life in the future.

The programme is a partnership between AstraZeneca, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Plan International, a leading international, child-centred development organisation.

Plan works in 48 countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia, helping the world’s poorest children to move from a life of poverty to a future with opportunity.

Tuberculosis (TB) Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by a germ called bacilli. When the TB germ is found in the lungs, it is called Pulmonary TB and when it attacks other parts of the body, it is called Extra-pulmonary TB.

Tuberculosis spreads by droplet infection. Other person only needs to inhale a small number of these germs to be infected. From there, the bacilli can move through the blood to other parts of the body, such as the kidney, spine and brain and can cause TB.

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What are the symptoms for TB?One should go for Microspic sputum examination and Chest X-rat in to diagnose TB, if you have the following symptoms. Sputum test is the most reliable to diagnose TB.

Symptoms• Coughing: If this continues for 2 weeks• Fever, especially at nights• Weight-loss: Especially when there is no other reason for continuously losing

weight • Loss of appetite: You do not feel like eating• Close proximity with someone who has TB

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Is TB curable, what is the medication that they can take?The Directly Observed Treatment short-course (DOTS) treatment is the most effective strategy available for controlling TB which can be procured from all government hospitals.

Do not stop the medicine. You must continue to take your medicine until all the TB germs are dead, even though you may feel better and have no more active symptoms of the disease.

• TB medicine must be taken under supervision of a healthcare provider for 6-9 months or as advised by the doctor

• Irregular treatment or missing doses can make the TB treatment more complicated as germs develop resistance to the medicines you are taking. It is therefore, critically important to take the medicine as advised by your doctor

• Termination of DOTS treatment could be fatal, which may result to MDR and XDR-TB.

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MDR and XDR TB If you do not take your medicine as your doctor tells you, the TB germ may become resistant to certain medicines. You will then develop MDR-TB or Multi Drug Resistant TB. People with MDR-TB must be treated with special medicines which may take 24 to 27 months instead of 6 - 9 months for normal TB to be cured.

XDR-TB is the abbreviation for extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). TB can usually be treated with a course of four standard, or first-line, anti-TB drugs. If these drugs are misused or mismanaged, multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) can develop. MDR-TB takes longer to treat with second-line drugs, which are more expensive and have more side-effects.

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Precautions (TB)The best way to prevent TB is to start treatment for TB at the earliest. • The most important thing is to take the medicine as advised by the doctor

and without interruption• The patient must always cover his / her mouth with a tissue or handkerchief

when coughing, sneezing or laughing. The tissue must be put in a closed bag and thrown away. Handkerchiefs must be washed separately in a solution of warm water and soap

• The patient’s room must be aired out frequently.

• It is good to get family members especially children of TB patients having cough for more than 2-3 weeks tested for TB.

• TB is especially dangerous for children and people with HIV infection. If infected with the TB germ, these people need medicine right away to keep from developing active TB.

In addition maintaining good hygiene and keeping the surroundings clean and having good nutritious diet helps avoid TB.

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Malaria, its symptoms and causesMalaria is a parasitic disease that involves high fevers, shaking chills, flu-like symptoms. Malaria is caused by a parasite that is transmitted from one human to another through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.

Malaria can also be transmitted from a mother to her unborn baby (congenitally) and by blood transfusions.

Symptoms • Anaemia• Headache• Jaundice• Muscle pain• Nausea and vomiting• Bloody stools • Sweating

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Diagnosis and treatment The doctor after physical examination of liver and spleen suggests the person to go through a blood test. Malaria blood smears taken at 6-12 hour intervals is used to confirm the diagnosis. These days, a Rapid diagnostic kit that gives results at once is now available.

TreatmentMalaria immediately requires proper medication and care. Chloroquine is a frequently used anti-malarial medication. The choice of medication depends partly on where the patient was infected. The treatment can only be carried out under the guidance of a trained healthcare worker.

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Prevention of mosquito breedingMalaria can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites, by reduction of mosquitoes an by using the Early Detection and Preventive techniques (EDPT) which includes avoiding mosquito bites by wearing protective clothing over the arms and legs, using screens on windows, and using insect repellent and sleeping under long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs), and not letting mosquito breed in and around the house.

To prevent the mosquitoes from multiplying, the following steps should be taken: • Drain out the water from desert coolers/window air coolers (when not in use), tanks,

barrels, drums, buckets etc. • Remove all objects containing unused water (e.g. plant saucers etc.) from the house. • Collect and destroy discarded containers in which water collects, e.g., bottles, plastic

bags, tins, used tyres, etc. not only from your house but from the nearby areas.

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In case it is not possible to drain out various water collections or to fully cover them, using the insecticide Temephos (brand name Abate), 1 mg per ltr, according to the guidelines, as this helps to prevent the larvae from developing into adults.

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Dengue, its causes and symptomsDengue is a form of fever caused by dengue virus following the bite of an infected mosquito “Aedes aegypti”. It is also known as break-bone fever.

Symptoms of dengue fever• Sudden onset of fever which ranges from 103 – 105 degree F or

39-40 degree Celsius, which may last for 5-7 days• Severe headache (mostly in the forehead)• Body aches and pains accompanied with pain behind the eyes• Rash on the skin • Nausea or vomiting

In some patients, fever comes down on 3rd or 4th day but rises again. All the above symptoms and signs may not be present in the patient. The patient also feels lot of discomfort after the illness.

Caution: Sometimes these symptoms of dengue fever are very mild. When all the above symptoms surface, especially during the ‘dengue season’, during the monsoons, when mosquitoes proliferate, care must be taken to visit a doctor immediately.

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Dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndromeDengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome occur when the person may have already had dengue fever earlier and has developed some immunity to the fever. Dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome are frequently fatal.

Dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome also have the same symptoms as dengue fever, but the following symptoms are also likely to surface additionally: • Spotting on the skin, as blood vessels start breaking under the skin • Easy bruising • Bleeding from gums and/or nose • Black stools• Nausea and vomiting• Restlessness• Excessive thirst • Pale and cold skin (due to low blood pressure) • Heavy sweating • Worsening of symptoms of dengue fever

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Treatment and preventionWe need to get a blood test done from a reliable laboratory to confirm the occurrence of dengue.

Dengue infection is cause for worry from the onset and the patient should consult a doctor immediately. But it is particularly critical if the patient starts vomiting. If the patient is also bleeding from nose, gums or skin, he/she should be immediately rushed to the doctor.

TreatmentLike most viral diseases there is no specific cure for dengue fever. Antibiotics do not help. Paracetamol (which can be purchased without prescription) is generally administered to control the fever and joint pains. Pain killers such as aspirin and brufen should be avoided since they can increase the risk of bleeding. Prevention

• Prevent the mosquitoes from breeding in the vicinity of your homes by maintaining required cleanliness

• Prevent mosquitoes bites by wearing full sleeved clothes, mosquito repellents etc.

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Role of youth in prevention of TB, malaria and dengueThe youth of the community are the key change agents of the community.

TBYouth and adult can be important change agents when it comes to stopping the spread of tuberculosis, by holding awareness campaigns to spread the message on prevention and cure of TB.• They should educate their family and friends that TB spreads through air, therefore

one should always cover their mouth when they sneeze or cough. Also keep their environment clean and well ventilated

• DOTS are the only medicine for TB, and the medicines can be procured for free from the nearest health centre.

Malaria and Dengue• They should hold awareness campaigns to ensure that every household undertakes

the simple measures to prevent existing water collections from becoming places for breeding of the mosquitoes

• Drain out water from various containers• Regularly change the water at places where there is collection of water • Clean flower vases and other items• In case of unused items where water gets collected, discard/destroy them.

Remember, prevention is better than cure and even the smallest collection of water can provide space to the mosquitoes to breed.

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Plan India is a nationally registered child centred community development organisation. For over 30 years, Plan and our partners have helped communities throughout India to help themselves, so that children have access to their rights including the right to protection, basic education, proper healthcare, a healthy environment, livelihood opportunities and participation in decisions which affect their lives. We encourage children to express their views and be actively involved in improving their communities. Plan India currently works in 11 states in India and has impacted the lives of over a million children.

Plan India’s rights based approach helps bring lasting improvements to the lives of vulnerable children and their communities in India, including children living on the streets and those living in urban homeless families; those with disabilities or affected by HIV; those who are exploited and trafficked; the children of sex workers; and child labourers. Plan India also works to help girls overcome the disadvantage and discrimination they face in everyday life within most communities.

Plan India is committed to the principles of child rights and equality, and we work to develop the capacity of civil society to meet their own needs by replicating successful development models.

Plan India is part of Plan International, one of the world’s largest community development organisations. Plan’s vision is of a world in which all children realise their full potential in societies which respect people’s rights and dignity.

Disclaimer

“The content is only to create/enhance public awareness and not for any treatment guidelines. Nothing in the content should be construed as the giving of advice or the making of any recommendation and this content should not be relied upon as the basis for any decision or action. You must consult a suitably qualified healthcare professional on any specific problem or matter which is covered in any of the content before taking any action. We make no warranties, representations or give any undertakings either express or implied about any of the content (including, without limitation, the timeliness, currency, accuracy, completeness or fitness for any particular purpose of such content or that the results which may be obtained from the use of the content will be error free or reliable.).

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