Despite tremendous global progress, diarrhoea remains the second leading infectious cause of under-5 deaths, taking a child’s life almost every minute. Although diarrhoea can seem like a common, simple childhood ailment in many places, a single episode of diarrhoea can be serious, even deadly, and have severe economic implications for families and communities.
Life-saving oral rehydration therapy has turned the tide but doesn’t prevent infection. Millions of children in low- and middle-income countries still endure repeated bouts of diarrhoea that weaken their bodies and leave them vulnerable to malnutrition and stunted growth, and less able to fight off a wide range of infections.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have determined, in studies of human cells as well as mice that vaccination can help to prevent some types of diarrhoea-causing Escherichia coli (E. Coli) bacteria that damage the intestines, leading to some forms of malnutrition and stunting in children.
The findings suggest that a vaccine against this kind of E. Coli could boost global efforts to ensure that all children not only make it to age 5 but thrive. E. Coli is a common cause of diarrhoea worldwide, with a higher frequency during the first two years of life. The study is available online in Nature Communications.
Children in low- and middle-income countries tend to get diarrhoea over and over, and the risk of malnutrition and stunting goes up with each bout. When children become malnourished, their risk of dying from any cause increases.
Today, many countries are facing a double or triple burden of malnutrition in its most visible forms: stunting, wasting and being overweight.
Children affected by stunting are too short for their age, and their brains may never develop to their full cognitive potential, hindering their ability to learn as children, earn as adults, and contribute fully to their societies. Also, children with wasting are desperately thin, have weakened immune systems, and face an increased risk of death: They require urgent treatment and care to survive.
Two main dangers of diarrhoea are death and malnutrition and the two types of common diarrhoea are vaccine-preventable: rotavirus and cholera. Rotavirus vaccines are especially crucial in preventing a large proportion of diarrhoea deaths and hospitalizations around the world. Cholera vaccination is critical in preventing outbreaks in high-risk settings.
The rotavirus, one of the deadliest diarrhoea causing-agents, is responsible for over 40% of diarrhoea cases in Nigerian children and accounts for 14% of total global rotavirus-related deaths.
In addition, the administration of supplemental zinc results in a shorter duration of diarrhoea reduces the number of stools and stool output, reduces the risk of persistent diarrhoea, and may reduce the risk of subsequent illness and increased weight gain.
“Supplemental zinc helps the absorption of water back into the body system; during bouts of diarrhoea zinc, Vitamin A alongside other nutrients is also lost which may predispose some children to pneumonia. As such, in the care of children with malnutrition, other nutritional supplements and counselling on common foods to improve the child’s nutritional status is given,” added Dr Muideen Olatunji, Executive Secretary of Oyo State Primary Health care Board.
Howbeit, the inclusion of the rotavirus vaccine into the routine immunization schedule is a ray of hope for many Nigerian children, especially the poor. The vaccine is given as a liquid straight into the baby’s mouth for them to swallow.
A quantitative study carried out at eligible immunization units in Anambra State assessed 375 Nigerian mothers’ awareness of rotavirus infection and their willingness-to-pay (WTP) value for the vaccine.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
The 2022 study in the Journal of Current Biomedical Research involved Dr Ajagu Nnenna at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology in collaboration with other researchers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City.
It said that there was poor awareness of rotavirus infection among mothers as well as poor awareness of the importance of the rotavirus vaccine, but most mothers were willing to pay a maximum of 1, 000.00 Naira [$3.0] per dose for the vaccine.
But Executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib, at the flagged off the rotavirus vaccination in Abuja recently said the vaccine that costs around N10,000 or more per dose in some healthcare facilities across the country will be given free of cost to all infants at the age of 6, 10 and 14 weeks, along with other vaccines under the routine immunisation programme.
Dr Shuaib declared “It is projected that while reducing the associated morbidity and mortality from the rotavirus infections, the rotavirus vaccine introduction has the potential to avert over 110,000 deaths over 10 years.
“The vaccine will be integrated with other diarrheal preventive strategies, such as exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life, Vitamin A supplementation, hand washing and sanitation. And other key household practices, case management including the use of zinc- ORS to prevent dehydration, continued feeding, and treatment services for diarrhoea and other childhood diseases.”
Bouts of diarrhoea have lifelong consequences. But vaccination combined with efforts to improve sanitation and access to clean water could protect children from the long-term effects and give them a better shot at long and healthy lives.
