Anemia widespread among Chechen schoolchildren
By Umalt Chadayev
CHECHNYA – The majority of schoolchildren in Chechnya are sick with a variety of illnesses, the most prevalent being anemia.
Chechen doctors are deeply disturbed by this; according to them, anemia represents a danger to the entire younger generation.
An employee at the Ministry of Health said that at the end of last year, doctors tested the children in the secondary school No.2 in Kurchaloy (district center in south-east Chechnya) and “the results were shocking as more than 90% were anemic.”
He regards the situation as “very serious” since anemia is characterized by a reduction of hemoglobin in the bloodstream. General symptoms among the tested youngsters included “fatigue, poor concentration, general weakness, headaches, and unpleasant sensations around the heart.” Of all the schools tested in one district, 94% of the children were found to be anemic.
According to the doctor, the program’s financing came from a fund administered by the well-known Moscow-based Chechen businessman Hussein Dzhabrailov. Medicine is now being given to the children as part of a three month treatment after which they will again be tested.
The doctor stated it was “regrettable that the authorities have effectively not paid attention to this serious problem. In my opinion, complete medical exams on children should be carried out in all parts of the country. If anemia and other diseases are not revealed in the initial stages, then they will eventually become chronic.” He also added that it is necessary to bear in mind that anemia aggravates other diseases.
According to him, one of the main causes of this illness in children is the ongoing war in the republic. “For youngsters to develop naturally, a regular diet that includes fruits and vegetables is needed, along with normal living conditions where they are under constant parental supervision. But considering that over 80% of the population has no steady source of income, providing healthy food is not always possible.”
The doctor concluded by saying that unless this health issue is not addressed and soon resolved, the next generation will not have a decent future.
(MG/E,T)
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