Gulam Khandaker1, Mohammad Muhit2, Harunor Rashid3, Aynul Khan4, Johurul Islam4, Cheryl Jones5, Robert Booy6. 1. National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia The Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia The Marie Bashir Institute for Emerging Infections and Biosecurity (MBI), Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia gulam.khandaker@health.nsw.gov.au. 2. Child Sight Foundation (CSF), Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh Faculty of Public Health and Life Sciences, University of South Asia, Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh. 3. National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia. 4. Child Sight Foundation (CSF), Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh. 5. The Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia The Marie Bashir Institute for Emerging Infections and Biosecurity (MBI), Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia. 6. National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia The Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia The Marie Bashir Institute for Emerging Infections and Biosecurity (MBI), Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To identify the contribution of infectious aetiologies to major childhood disabilities in Bangladesh. METHODS: Active community-based survey was conducted for severe childhood disability using the Key Informants Method between September 2011 and March 2012 in a rural sub-district of Bangladesh. RESULTS: We screened 1069 children and identified 859 with severe disabilities. The mean age of the disabled children was 8.5 year and 42.9% were girls. The major forms of impairments/conditions were cerebral palsy (n = 324, 37.7%), hearing impairment (n = 201, 23.4%), physical impairment (n = 147, 17.1%), visual impairment (n = 49, 5.7%), cerebral palsy with epilepsy (n = 39, 4.5%) and epilepsy (n = 41, 4.7%). Congenital rubella syndrome was identified in 1.1% (n = 9). 7.1% disabilities resulted from clinically confirmed infections, and another 10.8% originated from probable infections; thus a total of 17.9% disabilities were related to an infectious origin. CONCLUSIONS: Infectious diseases appear to be one of the major causes of severe childhood disability in rural Bangladesh.
PURPOSE: To identify the contribution of infectious aetiologies to major childhood disabilities in Bangladesh. METHODS: Active community-based survey was conducted for severe childhood disability using the Key Informants Method between September 2011 and March 2012 in a rural sub-district of Bangladesh. RESULTS: We screened 1069 children and identified 859 with severe disabilities. The mean age of the disabled children was 8.5 year and 42.9% were girls. The major forms of impairments/conditions were cerebral palsy (n = 324, 37.7%), hearing impairment (n = 201, 23.4%), physical impairment (n = 147, 17.1%), visual impairment (n = 49, 5.7%), cerebral palsy with epilepsy (n = 39, 4.5%) and epilepsy (n = 41, 4.7%). Congenital rubella syndrome was identified in 1.1% (n = 9). 7.1% disabilities resulted from clinically confirmed infections, and another 10.8% originated from probable infections; thus a total of 17.9% disabilities were related to an infectious origin. CONCLUSIONS: Infectious diseases appear to be one of the major causes of severe childhood disability in rural Bangladesh.
Authors: Joёlle Castellani; Omari Kimbute; Charles Makasi; Zakayo E Mrango; Aggie T G Paulus; Silvia M A A Evers; Pip Hardy; Tony Sumner; Augusta Keiya; Borislava Mihaylova; Mohammad Abul Faiz; Melba Gomes Journal: J Dev Phys Disabil Date: 2021-10-02