World Pneumonia Day: All you Need to Know About It

November 12th is World Pneumonia Day. It is an annual reminder that pneumonia is a dangerous lung infection that can occur anywhere at any time.

The leading infectious disease in the world, pneumonia claimed the lives of 2.5 million people in 2019 alone. This includes 672,000 children under the age of five. That translates to one fatality every 13 seconds. However, pneumonia is still an underappreciated illness and a “global cause without champions.”

Learn about Pneumonia

An acute respiratory condition called pneumonia damages the lungs and their air sacs. This occurs when the alveoli in the lungs fill with liquid or discharge. This makes breathing painful and challenging.

Cause and Spread- Sneezing or coughing can transmit pneumonia, which is a communicable disease. Pneumonia is contagious and can be spread through coughing or sneezing.
- The most common cause of bacterial pneumonia in children is streptococcus pneumoniae.
- Pneumonia caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is the second most frequent cause.
- Respiratory syncytial virus is the virus responsible for pneumonia.
At risk- Children who are under five years old or who have compromised immune systems as a result of malnourishment, undernourishment, or other illnesses are more likely to experience delayed healing.The disease can also affect adults over the age of 65.
Symptoms– High temperature and chills, weakness, a cough that produces phlegm, a feeling of being unwell, breathing rapidly, shortness of breath, and a racing heartbeat.
Prevention and Vaccine- Keeping oneself clean and receiving vaccinations against specific bacteria that cause pneumonia are examples of preventive measures. Under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), the primary vaccine (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; PCV) is administered in three doses to prevent bacterial pneumonia.
Initiatives:
- The Successful Neutralisation of Pneumonia through Social Awareness and Action (SAANS)
- The Integrated Action Plan for the Prevention and Management of Diarrhoea and Pneumonia (IAPPD)
- An integrated global action plan for diarrhoea and pneumonia (GAPPD) had been introduced by WHO and UNICEF.

Importance of World Pneumonia Day (WPD)

It is possible to prevent and treat pneumonia. The number of deaths from pneumonia and other respiratory infectious diseases has sharply increased in recent years. This is, despite the availability of treatment. Over 25 lakh people died from pneumonia in 2019, and approximately seven lakh children under five also perished from the disease worldwide.

World Pneumonia Day is very important. It encourages public and private organisations to work together to organise campaigns at local levels to spread vaccinations and preventive measures. It spreads awareness to combat the risk of respiratory infections. This in turn, reduce the toll that results from a lack of awareness about these infections. It also unites the organisation on one platform and creates the opportunity to make this preventable infectious disease accessible to all segments of society.

World Pneumonia Day: All you Need to Know About It

Facts About World Pneumonia Day

Observed on	November 12
First Pneumonia Day	12 November 2009.
Statistics	More than half of all paediatric pneumonia deaths occur in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan combined. WHO: Every year, pneumonia claims the lives of 1.4 million children under the age of five, making up 18% of all paediatric deaths globally. UNICEF: Every 39 seconds, a child passes away from pneumonia.

Facts about Pneumonia & World Pneumonia Day (WPD)

Pneumonia is a contagious disease. It can spread through coughing and sneezing, and through fluids such as blood during childbirth. Infectious agent could be Bacteria, Viruses and Fungi.
Streptococcus Pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia in children.
Haemophilus Influenzae Type b (Hib) is the second most common cause of bacterial pneumonia.
Respiratory syncytial virus is the most common cause of viral pneumonia.
According to WHO 14 Lakh children under the age of five years die every year because of Pneumonia. That accounts for 18% of all deaths of children under five years old worldwide.
According to UNICEF, every 39 second a child dies of Pneumonia.
The risk of affecting with pneumococcal pneumonia for a 65-year-old with COPD is 7.7 times higher than a healthy one. And those with asthma are at 5.9 times greater risk.
It is estimated that 16 Lakh pneumonia deaths among adults over 50 years of age are attributable to air pollution and smoking.
Every Breath Counts Coalition is the world’s first public-private partnership to support national governments to end pneumonia deaths by 2030.