Bangalore teeming with unhealthy children

BANGALORE: Silicon Plateau’s children seem to be far from the chubby, healthy infants seen on child product advertisements. The highest number of health problems were spotted among schoolchildren from Bangalore Urban, which stood at 24,200.
A majority of these children suffered from dental caries, roundworm, anaemia, skin disease and hearing and vision defects.
The recently concluded 2009-2010 school health programme, Suvarna Arogya Chetana, has been a revelation of the status of health of government schoolchildren across the state.
Of the targeted 89,29,536 schoolchildren, around 76,08,059 were screened across the state. State health and family welfare department officials say that a majority of children with health problems are from below poverty line families.
Poor nutritional food intake, lack of hygiene, low intake of rich protein, Vitamin A and milk products are the main causes for most of the diseases, say doctors.
During the screening, the common and most prevalent health problems among children were
11,591 students had dental worries
11,333 had tapeworms
7,042 were anaemic
4,391 with urinary tract infection
1,389 had Vitamin A deficiency
1,366 with skin diseases
794 had visual problems
1,000 with hearing problems
341 had cardiac problems
While the state government claims to be on the verge of eradicating leprosy, 25 leprosy students have been spotted during the health screening programme — 23 of them are from Raichur and two from Dharwad. The incidence of deadly tuberculosis is not rare among students as more than 26 students with TB were identified, and of them, 24 were from Raichur district.
DISEASED DISTRICTS
Districts with a large number of children with health-related complications are Bangalore Urban: 24,200 Koppal: 18,922 Belgaum: 13,502 Other prominent districts were Tumkur, Bijapur, Haveri, Gadag, Udupi, Hassan, Chikmagalur
OFFICIAL VIEW
Through this programme, children in government schools are screened across the state by medical officers, with the support of the school teacher. School teachers who regularly observe these children, refer those with health problems. Most of the children identified with health problems are treated for free under the scheme and so far, a majority of students short-listed are treated. Along with treatment, even transportation cost is covered under the programme.
SETBACKS
This flagship programme was affected and delayed due to the H1N1 flu outbreak and doctors’ strike. In fact, reports of school health programmes were also held back by government doctors during the strike. Screening, which was supposed to have been completed in August, was dragged on till November in some districts and reports came in as late as December-end.
DOCTORS’ OPINION
Children are not aware of oral hygiene and use of hard or fluoride-contaminated water also cause dental problems. Lack of access to nutritional diet leads to anaemia, lowering immunity and leading to respiratory diseases like TB etc. These health complications impact the overall development and learning ability of students.
Dr Ramana Rao,
GENERAL PHYSICIAN