There are many diseases that can attack young children, but some of the most common and serious ones are:
1). Malaria:
– This is a disease caused by a parasite that is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. It can cause: fever, chills, headache, vomiting, and sometimes severe complications such as anemia, seizures, coma, and death.
– Malaria can be prevented by using insect repellent, sleeping under mosquito nets, and taking antimalarial drugs.
– It can be treated with antimalarial drugs if diagnosed early.
2). Pneumonia:
– This is an infection of the lungs that can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. It can cause coughs, difficulty breathing, chest pain, fever, and sometimes serious complications such as respiratory failure, sepsis, and death.
– Pneumonia can be prevented by immunization, exclusive breastfeeding, adequate nutrition, and reducing indoor air pollution.
– It can be treated with antibiotics if caused by bacteria.
3). Diarrhea:
– This is a condition where the stools are loose and watery, often accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and dehydration.
– It can be caused by various pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites that infect the digestive system.
– Diarrhea can be prevented by drinking safe water, sanitation, hygiene, and immunization.
– It can be treated with Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) and zinc supplements to prevent dehydration and malnutrition.
4). HIV:
– This is a virus that attacks the immune system and makes it vulnerable to other infections and diseases.
– It can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding, or through contact with infected blood or body fluids.
– HIV can cause various symptoms such as: weight loss, fever, night sweats, swollen glands, skin rashes, and opportunistic infections.
– HIV can be prevented by avoiding exposure to infected blood or body fluids, using condoms during sexual intercourse, and taking antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) during pregnancy and breastfeeding if infected.
– It can be treated with ARVs to suppress the virus and improve the immune system.
5). Tuberculosis:
– This is a disease caused by a bacterium that mainly affects the lungs but can also affect other organs.
– It can be transmitted through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
– Tuberculosis can cause persistent cough, chest pain, bloody sputum, fever, night sweats, weight loss, and sometimes serious complications such as lung damage, meningitis, and death.
– Tuberculosis can be prevented by immunization (BCG vaccine), avoiding close contact with infected people, and improving ventilation and nutrition.
–It can be treated with a combination of antibiotics for several months.
🔅 Some other diseases that afect infants are pertussis (whooping cough), poliomyelitis (polio), diphtheria, measles, and tetanus.
– Sadly these diseases are preventable and treatable but they still are deadly and fatal killing children in large numbers.Therefore it is essential to protect children from these diseases by following the recommended preventive measures and seeking medical attention when needed.
