Congenital infections affect the newborn fetus or newborn infant. They are generally caused by viruses that may be picked up by the baby at any time during the pregnancy or through the time of delivery. The viruses initially infect the mother who subsequently may pass it into the baby either directly through the placenta or at the time of delivery as the baby passes through the birth canal.
In addition, a birth defect due to some genetic, nutritional, and environmental factors is still common among the population, mainly neural tube defect due to folic acid deficiency and blood Hemoglobinopathies such as (Sickle cell disease, Thalassemia, and Hemophilia) due to inherited genetic.
Pathogens most frequently related to intrauterine infections syphilis, toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and herpes simplex – are commonly grouped under the acronym STORCH. A more complete acronym, CHEAP TORCHES, was proposed by Ford-Jones and Kellner in 1995[1]. This includes chicken pox, hepatitis (B, C, and E), enterovirus, AIDS, and parvovirus. The list of ‘other’ infections continues to grow with the identification of new etiologies, like lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus and Q-fever, and the resurgence of others, like malaria and tuberculosis.
Most congenital infections in the fetus and newborn baby are totally silent and asymptomatic. However, some may be serious and cause profound damage to the body resulting in birth defects or even death. Even if the infection is silent initially, it can quietly and slowly damage the body, causing medical and developmental problems that only show up months or even years later. The most effective measures to prevent those infections are through raising awareness about the routes of transmission and prevention among women of childbearing age and the public in general. Through the implementation of this project, WFBH NGO is looking forward to raising host communities’ knowledge about the route of transmission and prevention of the most common TOCRH infection and congenital anomalies.
This project started on October 10th, 2018 and it will end on April 10th, 2019 (6 months) funded by GIZ ( Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit ) targeting directly 2000 women of reproductive age in the community trained on sensitization on TORCH infections.