Primary Burden

Respiratory Diseases / Asthma - the primary burden to Matara’s pediatric healthcare infrastructure

Sri Lanka, like many other developing nations, is facing a rising prevalence of asthma with urbanization.  The 2001 ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) found in Sri Lanka:

• One-third of all children experience “wheezing” at some point
• Asthma was responsible for 160,000 hospital admissions annually
• Asthma claims the lives of more than 1000 children annually

WCI’s Comprehensive Resource and Clinical Needs Assessment found the following:

• Respiratory diseases represent nearly half of the inpatient hospitalizations in Matara’s existing pediatric facility
• Most of the hospital-acquired infections (nosocomial rate of 20%) are a direct result of either respiratory or diarrheal diseases.    

 Asthma is one of the top three illnesses that concern pediatricians at Matara General Hospital.  With increasing industrialization brought by highway construction and new seaport facilities, the burden of asthma will only continue to spread and increase amongst children in this region of the country.