Despite being easily treatable, pneumonia is the single biggest infectious killer of adults and children, claiming the lives of 2.5 million, including 672,000 children, in 2019.
was celebrated as an annual event in 2009 on November 12 by the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia. When the campaign was first launched, pneumonia was estimated to kill 1.2 million children every year.
Later, WHO and UNICEF 2013 released an integrated action plan to prevent and control pneumonia and diarrhea. It set a goal that by 2025, there should be no more than three pneumonia deaths per 1000 births in every country.
Significance and Objectives
The main significance and objectives of World Pneumonia Day are:
- To raise awareness about pneumonia, the leading killer of young children.
- To promote interventions that will help prevent, protect and treat pneumonia.
- To highlight the approaches and solutions to the disease and the need for any additional resources and attention.
- Increase action, continue donor investment in fighting pneumonia and other deadly childhood diseases.
Every Breath Counts Coalition
This year, World Pneumonia Day will be held during COP 26 – the UN Climate Change Conference. This is a critical moment to bring together the health, air quality, and climate community to tackle the biggest infectious killer on the planet.
One of the main risk factors for pneumonia-related death across all age groups is air pollution.
Polluted air contributed to 749,200 pneumonia deaths, of which 423,000 occurred due to household air pollution, whereas 326,000 occurred due to outdoor air pollution.
Household air pollution from regularly used fuels for cooking, heating, and lighting affects the children more. While outdoor air pollution from pollutants emitted by industries and vehicle smoke affect solder adults.
90% of air pollution-related deaths are concentrated in many low- and middle-income countries.
In many African and Asian countries, air pollution contributes to more than 50 percent of all pneumonia deaths. While pneumonia deaths from household air pollution are declining, they are tragically increasing due to outdoor air pollution.
These facts show that action is needed for clean air. Reducing air pollution will deliver many benefits to health, the environment, and the global economy.
This World Pneumonia Day, Every Breath Counts initiative calls on high-burden countries to take integrated, multisectoral action to reduce air pollution-related pneumonia deaths.
How Is World Pneumonia Day Celebrated?
Events, messages, and news about the disease are conducted worldwide by global health organizations and the medical fraternity. With social media and the internet, campaigns can now become viral and generate a lot of curiosity and awareness.
People are encouraged to participate in education programs and contribute to voluntary work by making donations or setting up booths that will speak about preventing and protecting oneself against the disease.
Pneumonia can be eradicated in infants by 2030by spreading awareness and raising the importance of taking action and not leaving anything to luck or chance.
References:
- World Pneumonia Day – (https://stoppneumonia.org/latest/world-pneumonia-day/)
- World Pneumonia Day
12 November 2021 – (https://www.apsresp.org/archive/world-days/2021-pneumonia.html) - Pushing the Pace: The Pneumonia Innovations Summit was held on Thursday, November 12th, in New York City. Materials available here.
– (https://www.worldpneumoniaday.org/)
Source: Medindia
