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A global study
led by Aga Khan University (AKU) on the risk of infection among
newborn babies in developing countries is receiving international
media attention. The study finds that unsanitary practices during
labour and delivery as well as in after-birth care create an infection
risk for the developing world's newborns that is up to 20 times
greater than in developed countries. According to the study's authors,
the unhygienic conditions prevailing in hospitals in developing
countries mean that babies delivered in such settings may face an
equal or even higher risk of infection as babies born at home by
untrained attendants.
The study's findings have
been reported in the March 26, 2005, issue of the prestigious medical
journal Lancet and have been covered by major international
news organisations including BBC, Reuters, MSNBC and ABC News (USA).
Research was conducted through a collaborative international effort
led by Dr Anita Zaidi, Associate Professor of Paediatrics at AKU
and a specialist in infectious diseases of children. Hospital infection
control specialists Dr Donald Goldmann of Harvard Medical School,
USA, and Dr Charles Huskins from Mayo Clinic, USA, were partners
in this study. Drs Durrane Thaver and Zohair Abbas, young investigators
from AKU, also made important contributions.
A key observation from the
study is the alarming level of antibiotic resistance in newborn baby nurseries
in developing countries. The authors estimate that 70 per cent of bacteria isolated
from bloodstream infections in such nurseries may not be treatable by common
antibiotics such as ampicillin and gentamicin, which are currently recommended
for this purpose by the World Health Organization.
Dr Zaidi says
that the study's central message is simple: "The major culprits
in this problem are bacteria such as Klebsiella, which thrive
in unsanitary hospital environments, and Staphylococcus aureus which is transmitted by unwashed hands of hospital staff. So simply
observing good commonsense hygiene such as regular hand-washing
and clean labour and delivery practices will make a huge difference."
According to study co-author
and renowned child specialist Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta, Chair, Department of
Paediatrics, AKU, "this work brings focus to the important and neglected role
of infection prevention in saving the lives of newborns around the world. I
am sure it will generate considerable interest in the global public health community." Dr Bhutta emphasised that 70 per cent of newborn deaths can be prevented through
16 simple and cost-effective interventions such as clean and skilled delivery
by trained midwives, giving only breast milk to babies, and extra care for babies
with low birthweight.
He added that
the public and health care workers have both benefited immensely
from Lancet's commitment to highlighting the problem of newborn
health in developing countries through a series of articles (Lancet
Newborn Survival Series, March 2005) describing low-cost but
effective ways of saving babies from dying soon after birth. Researchers
from AKU have played an important role in this effort.
Dr Anwar Siddiqui, Associate
Dean for Research, AKU, adds that "recognition by the world media is an important
dimension of this work because it provides immeasurable dissemination and impact.
This extremely valuable contribution will thus bring attention to this problem
so that solutions can be debated and acted upon."
AKU appreciates that the
endemic problems of a region beset by financial difficulties and low development
indicators can be addressed only through relevant research focusing on producing
low-cost, accessible and innovative solutions.
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