Ayan, an 18-month-old child from Noakhali, is now admitted to the pneumonia ward of the capital’s Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute, also known as Dhaka Shishu Hospital.
His parents told Dhaka Tribune that he had been suffering from colds and coughs for a week. They said they brought Ayan to the hospital on Saturday, where doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia.
Ayan is not alone; over 70 children are undergoing treatment for pneumonia at the hospital as of Sunday, with experts attributing the increase in respiratory illnesses among children to the cold weather and air pollution.
From June 1 to Saturday, 76 patients were admitted to this hospital with pneumonia. Additionally, 361 pneumonia patients visited the hospital's outpatient department.
As of Sunday, eight children had died from pneumonia-related conditions at Dhaka Shishu Hospital this month. Last month, the death toll was 47.
Besides pneumonia, 1,315 patients with the common cold, 160 with asthma and 485 with diarrhoea visited the hospital’s outpatient department.
Dhaka Shishu Hospital witnessed a significant rise in pneumonia admissions throughout December. In the first week of the month, 42 children were admitted. By the end of December, weekly admissions climbed to 66, marking an increase of over 57%.
Cold waves and pollution
The hospital’s Prof Dr Probir Kumar Sarkar, who specializes in paediatric respiratory medicine, attributed the rise to increasing pollution, saying pollution was behind the increase in all respiratory diseases.
He told Dhaka Tribune that suspended particulate matter in the air was a major contributor to respiratory illnesses among children.
A study published in the Sustainability journal highlights that in winter, the increase in the concentration of particulate matter is most influenced by the decline in temperature, to a lesser extent by increased wind speed, and least by declines in precipitation and relative humidity.
From January 1 to Sunday, the average temperature in the capital was 19 degrees Celsius. The temperature went down as low as 14 degrees on the first three days of the year. Currently, a cold wave is also sweeping across parts of the country.
Dr Probir said: “Dhaka is one of the most polluted cities in the world. If we can prevent air pollution, the healthcare budget could be reduced by half.”
Jeopardized vaccination schedule
He noted that children’s vaccination schedules were disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Dr Probir said Covid-19 vaccines were stored in facilities where the authorities were supposed to keep other vaccines for children.
“However, now it is coming back to normal,” he added.
Immunization
Dr Probir stressed the importance of immunization for every child and recommended exclusive breastfeeding for infants under six months.
He also underscored the need to monitor a child’s temperature and consider additional vaccines to boost immunity.
Most importantly, he advised parents to seek medical attention promptly at the first sign of illness.
