Role of Pharmacist to Reduce Child Death Rate

Role of Pharmacist to Reduce Child Death Rate

Child Death Resions

Most of the neonates and infants lead to premature death because they do not receive proper protection against serious life-threatening diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis/whooping cough, Haemophilus influenza-B, meningitis, measles, mumps, pneumonia, cholera, diarrhea, malaria, neonatal infections, and malnutrition, etc. Premature birth is the biggest contributor to the Infant Mortality Rate. Improving sanitation and immunization against various infectious diseases can help reduce high rates of infant mortality.

Various vaccines viz. BCG Vaccine, Hepatitis B vaccine, Pentavalent vaccine, DPT vaccine, Measles vaccine, Rotavirus vaccine, Pneumococcal vaccine, MMR vaccine, Typhoid vaccine, oral polio vaccine, injectable polio vaccine, etc are administered to the neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age (as per immunization schedule) to build up the immunity and to improve the natural resistance of the body to protect against various infectious bacterial and viral diseases. 

Vaccines are fully effective and can protect from life-threatening diseases only when their antigenicity & potency will be preserved and that is possible if they are stored in proper storage conditions as per standard guidelines mentioned in Indian Pharmacopoeia 2014 and Hathi Committee Report 1975. 

The Pharmacist has a Key Role

Pharmacists are technically skilled health care expert, fully aware of these stringent guidelines, efficient and able to complying these requirements & can perfectly perform this task in this healthcare system.

Pharmacists by proper monitoring and management of vaccination programme and immunization schedule not only can control the quality of these vaccines by maintaining proper cold store chain conditions (2-8°C), but also ensuring proper timely administration of these vaccines to the neonates and children under 5 years of age i.e. 100% achievement of complete immunization and thus can help to reduce the infant mortality rate in Rajasthan.