Asthma is a common breathing condition that affects 20% of all children Asthma tends to run in families, although this is not always the case. You may have seen someone at school who uses an inhaler to help them breathe better and control asthma symptoms.
La thèse de Yobouet Inès Kouakou, soutenue à l’Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, porte sur le traitement d’urgence du paludisme sévère chez l’enfant à l’aide d’une administration intranasale d’artésunate. L’objectif principal de ce travail est d’explorer, in vitro, la voie na...sale comme alternative à la voie intra-rectale recommandée actuellement en pré-hospitalier. L’étude démontre la non-toxicité de formulations d’artésunate sur un modèle de muqueuse nasale humaine, bien que la perméation observée reste faible. Des pistes sont proposées pour améliorer cette perméation, notamment par l’optimisation galénique. La thèse inclut également une revue de la pharmacocinétique de l’artésunate et le développement de méthodes de dosage simples et peu coûteuses, adaptées aux laboratoires à ressources limitées. Ce travail s’inscrit dans une démarche de lutte contre le paludisme, notamment en zones rurales où l’accès aux soins reste difficile.
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Background
Asthma education, a key component of long-term asthma management, is challenging in resource-limited settings with shortages of clinical staff. Task-shifting educational roles to lay (non-clinical) staff is a potential solution. We conducted a randomised controlled trial of an enhanced a...sthma care intervention for children in Malawi, which included reallocation of asthma education tasks to lay-educators. In this qualitative sub-study, we explored the experiences of asthmatic children, their families and lay-educators, to assess the acceptability, facilitators and barriers, and perceived value of the task-shifting asthma education intervention.
Methods
We conducted six focus group discussions, including 15 children and 28 carers, and individual interviews with four lay-educators and a senior nurse. Translated transcripts were coded independently by three researchers and key themes identified.
Results
Prior to the intervention, participants reported challenges in asthma care including the busy and sometimes hostile clinical environment, lack of access to information and the erratic supply of medication. The education sessions were well received: participants reported greater understanding of asthma and their treatment and confidence to manage symptoms. The lay-educators appreciated pre-intervention training, written guidelines, and access to clinical support. Low education levels among carers presented challenges, requiring an open, non-critical and individualised approach.
Discussion
Asthma education can be successfully delivered by lay-educators with adequate training, supervision and support, with benefits to the patients, their families and the community. Wider implementation could help address human resource shortages and support progress towards Universal Health Coverage.
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Asthma is the most common chronic illness of childhood. The prevalence is rising and the mortality and morbidity from asthma are unacceptably high in South Africa. This article emphasizes the importance to make a correct diagnosis based, most importantly, on the clinical history and supported by inv...estigations. Further, the appropriate drug and device must be chosen to achieve good asthma control. It explains that patients must be followed up regularly and their asthma control must be assessed so that the treatment can then be adjusted according to the level of control. Additionally, Asthma education and adherence are important components of management of the condition.
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Imagine a child- friendly and resilient community in Malawi. A happy child, healthy parents, a latrine behind the house, livestock somewhere in the backyard, no-one panics when clouds come because people are prepared for the rain.
At UNICEF, we are working with the Government and civil society of M...alawi to create child-friendly, resilient communities where
children and adolescents can grow, go to school and play- free from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect.
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PATS and ERS
Paediatric Webinar Series
Air pollution and the lung in children:
the evidence for exposure and prevention measures
Das neue Coronavirus Kindern einprägsam erklärt. Was sind Viren? Wie soll man sich verhalten? Und warum ist das so wichtig?
The article "Asthma in South African adolescents: a time trend and risk factor analysis over two decades" investigates the prevalence and risk factors for asthma in Cape Town adolescents from 2002 to 2017. The study finds that while the overall prevalence of asthma remained similar, the severity of ...the condition increased significantly. Risk factors for asthma and severe cases include smoking, pet exposure, outdoor pollution, and living in informal housing. Despite these trends, underdiagnosis remains a concern, as only one-third of adolescents with current or severe asthma had been formally diagnosed. The article emphasizes the need for better public health strategies to address environmental exposures and improve asthma diagnosis and treatment.
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The article "Barriers and determinants of asthma control in children and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review" analyzes factors contributing to poor asthma control in African youth. Based on studies conducted between 2014 and 2019 in Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa, the review identifies key... challenges such as limited access to asthma diagnosis, inadequate use of inhaled corticosteroids, and environmental and socio-economic factors. It finds that urban living, older age, and concurrent allergic conditions significantly affect asthma management. The study emphasizes the need for improved diagnostic tools, better access to treatment, and tailored public health interventions to enhance asthma outcomes in African children.
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Malawi is a small and beautiful country in south-central Africa. It is divided into three administrative regions: south, central and north. The regions are further subdivided into 28 districts. The Southern Region is the most densely populated, while the Northern Region is the least populated.
UNICEF Malawi and its partners are prioritizing renewable energy solutions for children and communities across the country to access clean and affordable electricity, with a focus on hard-to-reach, rural communities unable to access the national electricity grid.
Dieser Flyer richtet sich an Eltern von 6- bis 12-jährigen Kindern.
Er soll Sie als Eltern für das Thema psychische Gesundheit sensibilisieren und Ihnen alltagsnahe Tipps geben, wie Sie die psychische Gesundheit Ihres Kindes stärken können. Die Empfehlungen haben wir auf der Grundlage von wisse...nschaftlicher Literatur und mit Inputs von Fachpersonen und Eltern erstellt.
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Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children globally. The Global Asthma Network (GAN) Phase I study aimed to determine if the worldwide burden of asthma symptoms is changing.
This updated cross-sectional study used the same methods as the International study of Asthma and Allergies in Chi...ldhood (ISAAC) Phase III. Asthma symptoms were assessed from centres that completed GAN Phase I and ISAAC Phase I (1993–95), ISAAC Phase III (2001–03), or both. We included individuals from two age groups (children aged 6–7 years and adolescents aged 13–14 years) who self-completed written questionnaires at school. We estimated the 10-year rate of change in prevalence of current wheeze, severe asthma symptoms, ever having asthma, exercise wheeze, and night cough (defined by core questions in the questionnaire) for each centre, and we estimated trends across world regions and income levels using mixed-effects linear regression models with region and country income level as confounders.
Overall, 119 795 participants from 27 centres in 14 countries were included: 74 361 adolescents (response rate 90%) and 45 434 children (response rate 79%). About one in ten individuals of both age groups had wheeze in the preceding year, of whom almost half had severe symptoms. Most centres showed a change in prevalence of 2 SE or more between ISAAC Phase III to GAN Phase I. Over the 27-year period (1993–2020), adolescents showed a significant decrease in percentage point prevalence per decade in severe asthma symptoms (–0·37, 95% CI –0·69 to –0·04) and an increase in ever having asthma (1·25, 0·67 to 1·83) and night cough (4·25, 3·06 to 5·44), which was also found in children (3·21, 1·80 to 4·62). The prevalence of current wheeze decreased in low-income countries (–1·37, –2·47 to –0·27], in children and –1·67, –2·70 to –0·64, in adolescents) and increased in lower-middle-income countries (1·99, 0·33 to 3·66, in children and 1·69, 0·13 to 3·25, in adolescents), but it was stable in upper-middle-income and high-income countries.
Trends in prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms over the past three decades varied by age group, country income, region, and centre. The high worldwide burden of severe asthma symptoms would be mitigated by enabling access to effective therapies for asthma.
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Ova brošura je namijenjena roditeljima djece od 6 do 12 godina. Svrha ove brošure je da vas kao roditelje senzibilizira za temu mentalnog zdravlja i da vam pruži savjete iz svakodnevnice, kako da ojačate mentalno zdravlje vašeg
djeteta. Preporuke smo izradili na osnovu naučne literature i uz ...doprinose stručnjaka i roditelja.
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Ova brošura je namijenjena roditeljima djece od 6 do 12
godina. Svrha ove brošure je da vas kao roditelje senzibilizira za temu mentalnog zdravlja i da vam pruži savjete iz svakodnevnice, kako da ojačate mentalno zdravlje vašeg djeteta. Preporuke smo izradili na osnovu naučne literature i uz ...doprinose stručnjaka i roditelja
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Данный флаер предназначен для родителей детей в возрасте от 6 до 12 лет. Он призван привлечь внимание родителей к теме психического здоровья и содержит повседневные... советы о том, как можно укрепить психическое здоровье детей. Мы составили рекомендации на основе научной литературы, учитывающие мнение специалистов и родителей
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The RTA covered UNICEF’s response to COVID-19 from March 2020 – when WHO declared the disease a pandemic – until January 2021. Further, the RTA applied a broad and cross-cutting lens to all 21 UNICEF county offices across the region, focusing on six case study countries: Kenya, Madagascar, Nam...ibia, Somalia, South Africa and Uganda.
In addition to a Regional Analysis Report, the RTA produced six deep-dive reports with findings and lessons specific to the six case study countries mentioned above – all of which can be accessed through the drop-down listing on this page.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 has a mild disease course in children and adolescents. Chronic respiratory conditions, including asthma, have been suggested as risk factors; however, asthma in children is highly variable in both triggers and severity.
During the pandemic, pediatric asthma services limite...d consultations and established virtual clinics. However, respondents perceived their patients’ asthma control to be retained or even improved, while treatment adherence was considered increased. Children with asthma were not disproportionately affected by coronavirus disease 2019.
Trigger avoidance and treatment adherence can rapidly improve asthma control in children, even under lockdown pressure. Children/adolescents with asthma do not appear to need additional prophylactic measures from coronavirus disease 2019 when asthma is well-treated. This article analyses the effect of COVID-19 on Asthma in children, providing information for management guidelines.
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Key facts
- A healthy diet helps to protect against malnutrition in all its forms, as well as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.
- Unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are leading global risks to health.
- Healthy dietary practices start... early in life – breastfeeding fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development, and may have longer term health benefits such as reducing the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life.
- Energy intake (calories) should be in balance with energy expenditure. To avoid unhealthy weight gain, total fat should not exceed 30% of total energy intake (1, 2, 3). Intake of saturated fats should be less than 10% of total energy intake, and intake of trans-fats less than 1% of total energy intake, with a shift in fat consumption away from saturated fats and trans-fats to unsaturated fats (3), and towards the goal of eliminating industrially-produced trans-fats (4, 5, 6).
- Limiting intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake (2, 7) is part of a healthy diet. A further reduction to less than 5% of total energy intake is suggested for additional health benefits (7).
- Keeping salt intake to less than 5 g per day (equivalent to sodium intake of less than 2 g per day) helps to prevent hypertension, and reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke in the adult population (8).
- WHO Member States have agreed to reduce the global population’s intake of salt by 30% by 2025; they have also agreed to halt the rise in diabetes and obesity in adults and adolescents as well as in childhood overweight by 2025 (9, 10).
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Le document fournit des messages éducatifs et des conseils pratiques pour prévenir et gérer la diarrhée, en particulier chez les enfants. Il met l'accent sur les pratiques d'hygiène telles que le lavage des mains adéquat, l'utilisation de latrines et la manipulation sûre des aliments. Il soul...igne également l'importance de l'allaitement maternel, d'une alimentation équilibrée, de la vaccination et de l'utilisation de solutions de réhydratation orale (SRO) et de zinc pour traiter la déshydratation causée par la diarrhée. Développé en collaboration avec les programmes de Save the Children en République démocratique du Congo, le matériel intègre l'éducation à la santé dans les écoles et les communautés, en encourageant les enfants à agir comme agents de changement pour promouvoir les pratiques d'hygiène et de santé.
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