What is it about?
We did a study of the lung health of children in rural Malawi, one of the world’s poorest countries. We found that chronic cough and wheeze were common complaints and that children were exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution on a day-to-day basis. Children in poor countries like Malawi live in conditions that adversely affect their lung health. Solutions are needed to protect these vulnerable children from these problems.
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Why is it important?
There is very little published research about lung health in children from rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Lung growth and development in childhood impacts on lung health in adulthood. Strategies are needed to improve the management of chronic respiratory problems in childhood and maximise healthy lung development in the poorest parts of the world.
Perspectives
Performing spirometry and monitoring air pollution exposure in young children in a rural African setting presented many challenges: I am hugely grateful to the field team for their patience and perseverance in collecting this important dataset.
Sarah Rylance
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Lung health and exposure to air pollution in Malawian children (CAPS): a cross-sectional study, Thorax, August 2019, BMJ,
DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2018-212945.
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