During a sensitivity day to improve the health of this segment
Doctors have warned of a rise in serious diseases among children in Algeria. They confirmed that the health of this segment has become threatened in light of the change in dietary patterns and the abandonment of breastfeeding.
In this context, the head of the Pediatrics Department at Al-Qulaya Hospital, Dr. Zahrat Al-Hayat Hamdash, told Al-Shorouk, on the sidelines of the day organized by this public hospital institution in cooperation with the National Institute of Public Health, at the “Azad” Hotel in Zaraada, that obesity is witnessing a noticeable increase in children, as it affects 16 percent of them, while type 2 diabetes has become increasingly widespread among this segment, which according to her is a cause for concern.
Crohn’s disease, asthma, and diabetes are diseases that threaten students
Dr. Hamdash confirmed that organizing the sixth Pediatrics Day under the slogan of improving health care for children, aims to enhance scientific cooperation, develop medical practices, shed light on rare diseases and how to deal with them, as well as address the technical and field aspects, by organizing interactive workshops directed at health professionals, focusing on modern resuscitation methods and breastfeeding methods, with the aim of raising the quality of care for children’s diseases.
Asthma affects 15 percent of peopleAA child in Algeria
Dr. Zahrat Al-Hayat Hamdache stated that asthma affects approximately 15 percent of children in Algeria, and it causes respiratory crises in some of them while they are studying. On this basis, school medicine was involved in the awareness day, to explain how to deal with students suffering from whether respiratory diseases, diabetes, or others such as Crohn’s disease, which is considered a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the digestive system, and can affect children and adolescents.
She said that Crohn’s disease is a modern disease that today threatens a wide category of diseases. Although it is genetic, the change in diet and children resorting to eating “sandwiches,” “pizza,” and other fatty fast foods has made this disease spread among them.
theAInvesting in children’s health will ensure a healthy society
She explained that the symptoms of Crohn’s disease differ in children and may be less clear compared to adults. The most prominent symptoms are slow or delayed growth, delayed puberty, diarrhea, and severe abdominal pain and cramps.
For his part, Professor Bouamra, President of the National Institute of Public Health, emphasized the centrality of this meeting in updating medical knowledge, pointing out that investing in children’s health is an investment in the future of society, and that this demonstration comes to establish a culture of exchanging experiences and ensuring the provision of the best levels of care for children, by keeping up with the latest scientific developments in various pediatric specialties.
At a time when social and nutritional transformations are accelerating, children in Algeria face increasing health challenges that require action from various actors.
Specialists believe that protecting the health of future generations is not limited to improving medical care in hospitals, but also requires spreading health awareness among parents, encouraging physical activity, and establishing a healthy nutritional culture from the first years of a child’s life.
