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