The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

An estimated 30,000 children die of injury related cases every year in the country, while 13,000 children survive with permanent disabilities.

Dr Saidur Rahman, an epidemiologist of Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB) said of the total death, about 17,000 people aged between one to 17 dies every year as drowning of children has increased to 57 per cent in 2003 from nine per cent in 1983.

The epidemiologist was speaking at a dialogue on 'Save Lives, Prevent Injury,' organised by the CIPRB marking Safety Week-2008 in its conference room here. Stephanie Kyan and Nadira Khanum of he CIPRB spoke on the occasion, among others.

Dr Rahman described the swimming as only vaccine to prevent child injury and said only awareness about the incidents of child injury can help reduce such cases.

He suggested for undertaking low-cost injury prevention programmees involving ministries including Social Welfare, LGED, Education and Youth and Sports with a view to reducing the child injury deaths in the country.

Stephanie Kyan listed a number of causes lead to children injuries such as drowning, burns, falls, road accidents, poisoning, cuts, animal bites, stings and internal haemorrhage.

Nadira Khanom said the CIPRB is implementing a project titled Prevention of Child Injuries through Social Intervention and Education (PRECISE) in the country's three upazilas in cooperation with UNICEF aimed at reducing the child injury rate at a satisfactory level.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 5.8 million children die of injuries every year which is 97 per 1,00,000 people. Of them, 3.8 million are male children.

The country witnessed a steady decline in the infant mortality rate (IMR) and under five mortality rate (U5MR), said a study of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey.

The survival in child injury has improved significantly over the two decades as the U5MR has fallen by half from 146 to 76 death per 1,000, it said.

The study, however, pointed out that the child injuries have posed a grave threat to child health rather than infection and nutritional cause.

The main objective of the 7-day programme is to protect the children from injuries by raising massive awareness among the people, said the sources.