Effect Of Communicable Diseases Among Children

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

Communicable diseases are as old as man and they constitute a great menace to human beings in every part of the world. They are one of the greatest problems facing children today. The diseases are silent killers unlike accident that kills instantly. Man has been trying to get rid of these diseases, for years but efforts made have proved partially abortive. Specifically, pre-school children (0-5 years old) are prone to communicable diseases because of their close interaction with one another, their non-discriminatory behaviours and also their low immunity power. A disease that is transmitted through direct contact with an infected individual or indirectly through a vector. Also called contagious disease.

Communicable disease is often called contagious or infectious disease. Anderson (2000) defined a communicable disease as a disease that can be transmitted from one person to another or from lower animal to higher animal (man). He attributed the cause of these diseases to pathogenic microorganisms. Brain (2007) also noted that communicable disease are infectious diseases that can be passed from person to another or from an animal to a person.

It is generally believed that nature harbours many microorganism which are very difficult to see with mere naked eyes except with the use of highly powerful microscopic lens. Those microorganisms which harm the human body are called pathogens. Udoh, Fawole, Ajala, Okafo & Nwana (2007) confirmed that pathogens that harm the body are popularly known as germs. These invade the tissues of the human host where they produce the condition called disease. These germs/pathogens (that is virus, bacteria, protozoan and metazoan) are mostly found in dirty places where the temperature and atmosphere support their existence.

Olaoye (2008) classified communicable diseases into four namely water borne disease, air borne diseases, insect borne and other diseases that are transmitted by contacts and arthropods. Brain (2007) stated that the best way of classifying communicable diseases is by their spread, and these are; air borne or droplet infections; faecal borne or gastro-intestina infections; transmission from animal, from insects and by contacts. Barbara and Bauirer (2007) identified three ways of transmitting communicable diseases as; transmission by contact, by vector and by air.
Altekruse et al. (2001) defined a communicable disease as an illness that arises from transmission of an infectious agent or its toxic product from an infected person, animal or reservoir to a susceptible host, either directly or indirectly through an intermediate plant or animal host, vector, or environment. It can also be defined as an illness due to a specific infectious agent or its toxic products that arises through transmission of that agent or its products from an infected person, animal, or inanimate reservoir to a susceptible host. Transmission may be direct from person to person, or indirect through an intermediate plant or animal host, vector, or the inanimate environment.

The potential for infectious disease to disturb or destroy human life still exists today, especially in low-income countries, but can also pose serious challenges in the high-income countries. This threat may increase as infectious diseases evolve and escape current human-developed control mechanisms. The spread of the plague throughout Europe and Asia in the fourteenth century caused death and social destruction to an estimated one-third to half of the population of Europe, and is long embedded in the folk culture of the western world (Huntingdon 2002). The 1918–1919 Spanish (swine) influenza pandemic may have affected one-third of the world’s population; it was very severe and carried a case fatality rate of over 2.5 percent, particularly hitting young adults, resulting in between 50 and possibly as high as 100 million deaths, and killing more young men than died in World War I (Tautenberger, 2006).

Pandemics have caused huge repeated communicable disease devastation, such as smallpox, tuberculosis, syphilis, measles, cholera, and influenza, and have demonstrated infectious diseases’ explosive potential and epidemic character. Others of these illnesses have been controlled, and some may be eradicated as public health issues; nonetheless, new or recurring communicable diseases continue to appear. The spread of AIDS since the 1980s, ongoing cholera epidemics in Asia, Africa, and South America, diphtheria in the former Soviet Union in the 1990s, measles in Western Europe in 2010–2012, and diphtheria and pertussis in many western countries in 2011–2013 all serve as reminders of why communicable disease control remains one of public health’s primary responsibilities (Huntingdon 2002).

A number of discoveries in the 19th century were important events for the understanding of communicable diseases. For example, the link between contaminated water and cholera was discovered by John Snow in 1854; the importance of hygienic handwashing before attending delivery of a baby was noted by Dr. Semmelweis in 1845; and the discovery that microorganisms (very small organisms only visible under a microscope) cause disease was made by Louis Pasteur around this time.

Studies have shown that communicable diseases can be effectively controlled through personal and environmental hygiene. Although hygiene and infection are vital factors in environmental health, it is also good to be aware of emerging issues such as global warming and the links between medical conditions such as cardio-vascular disease and our environment and lifestyles. Our environment is everything that surrounds us. It includes all the external influences and conditions that can affect our health, life and growth. These influences are constantly changing and the effects on our health may not be easily foreseen (Jacob 1998).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Home environment contribute to communicable diseases among school children. In the Africa culture the value of education is highly perfect, be it formal. If one take the formal education as a case study, the home or environment contribute a lot to the hygienic system of the child both of home and in school. As this could prevent some communicable disease that could have affected the pupils because the sound foundation for future prevention of communicable diseases start from home. lack of care at home, some time cause unhealthy rivalry among pupils as it has a negative effect on the health of the child both of home school and its environment.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to find out the cause and effects of communicable diseases among children in Enugu North LGA. specifically, the study sought to:

• Determine the causes of communicable disease among children in Enugu North LGA.
• Ascertain the effect of communicable disease among children in Enugu North LGA.
• Determine ways to address the issues of communicable disease among children in Enugu North LGA.
• Determine effect of poverty of parents to the spread of communicable diseases among children.

1.4 Research Questions

The researcher in trying to substantiate the result of his study deducted the following research questions which are:

• Does lack of parental care lead to spread of communicable disease among children in Enugu North LGA?
• Does lack of health education lead to spread of communicable disease among children in Enugu North LGA?
• Can overcrowding of pupils in classrooms lead to the incidence of communicable disease among children in Enugu North LGA?
• Does poverty of parents lead to spread of communicable diseases among children?

1.5 Significance of the Study

In carrying out the study, the researcher hoped that it would be of great benefit to the public in general and to the educational system in particular. It would help educate parents on how to handle their environment and the health of their children. This study will help school management in preventing the spread of communicable disease in school and how to help children suffering from such problems. Moreover it is hoped that it would help teachers to know how to handle such children when they experience difficulties.

1.6 Scope of the Study

This study is restricted to pupils from Enugu North LGA of Enugu State. it is also limited to some six primary schools within the study area. The researcher limited her study to primary schools in Enugu North LGA of Enugu State.

Therefore, only primary six from six primary school located in urban and rural areas of the local government were used for the study. They are as follows:

1.7 Limitations of the Study

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing to the nature of the discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. More so, the choice of the sample size was limited as few respondent were selected to answer the research instrument hence cannot be generalize to other secondary schools. However, despite the constraint encountered during the research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Bacteria:

Constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a number of shapes, ranging from sphere to rods and spirals. Bacteria were among the first life forms to appear on earth, and are present in most of its habitats. Bacterial inhabit soil, water, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, and the deep portions of earth’s crust. Bacteria also live in symbiotic and parasitic relationship with plants and animals. They are also known to have flourished in manned spacecraft….