PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN CROATIAN CHILDREN IN WAR

JOSIP GRGURIĆ, ZORA ZAKANJ

Children¡¯s Hospital Zagreb

Department of Pediatrics

Klaićeva 16

10000 ZAGREB, CROATIA, Europe

 

Objectives and methods. Population in total was 1.748,265 people in Republic of Croatia according to last registration done in 1991. Children from 0 to 14 years of age were 926.000, while 400,000 of them were living in a specially difficult conditions. Wars have impact on decreasing life standards, lowering possibilities of hygiene measurments, prevention, and immunizations, simultaneously increasing an incidence and prevalence of different infectious diseases.

Results. The incidence of diarrhoeal diseases has increased during the War in Republic of Croatia. An increased morbidity, mostly of infectious diseases, has increased a number of children been hospitalized for infectious diseases. The most of hospitalized children were in 1992. which was the most difficult year of War. The immunized children rate was 85-87% during the War in Republic of Croatia, while an incidence of polio, diphteria, pertusis and measles was not significantlly increased during the War years compared to post-war years. Children mortality rate of diarhoeal diseases is higher during the War, than in post-war period, while mortality rate of respiratory diseases is not significantly different from the one during the peace-time.

Conclusion. The strategy of active participation in health care of children during the war, which led to organizing different activities and programes,  has been elaborated in our article. These programes have resulted in low infant mortality in our country, as well as low diarhoeal and respiratory diseases mortality of our children.

Key words: children, Croatia, infectious diseases, prevention, war

 

 
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