Childhood Pneumonia What stats reveal about the highly prevalent disease

1. Childhood Pneumonia: What stats reveal about the highly prevalent disease According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 740,180 kids died of childhood pneumonia in 2019 globally. That is about 14% of kids who died in 2019 under the age of five years. Comprehensively, childhood pneumonia is a cause of concern for the medical fraternity and should be for younger kids’ parents. We will talk about the disease in detail here. If you find your child showing symptoms as mentioned below or have any doubt whatsoever about the disease, make it a point to speak to your child’s doctor immediately.

2. India’s silent epidemic Pneumonia is a deadly disease responsible for the maximum number of child deaths in India under the age of five. More than 30 million new cases of this infectious disease in children under five are reported every year in India. India ranks highest on the list of fifteen countries that report maximum cases of childhood pneumonia. What makes it a silent epidemic is the fact that this disease is curable and preventable. But, lack of information and callous attitude often results in the spread of the disease. Coincidentally, at the global level, UNICEF and the WHO had formed the Global Action Plan for Pneumonia and Diarrhea or GAPPD in 2013 to tackle both the diseases in an integrated manner. Both pneumonia and diarrhea have been identified as the two foremost killer diseases in kids under five globally. The purpose is to reduce child deaths caused by these two diseases.

3. What makes pneumonia a cause of worry for India? Most deaths related to childhood pneumonia have been found to be inaccessible to means to prevent the disease. Many others die because the disease could not be diagnosed at the right time and the right treatment started. In India, the percentage of parents and kids who cannot access the right health- related parameters for the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of this infectious disease is quite high. It is mostly because of poor health infrastructure in the remote parts of the country and rural areas. Additionally, the distance from these places to well-equipped clinics is far , discouraging parents from undertaking the journey. In many cases, the cost of treatment is way above what the parents can afford, thereby risking the lives of their kids. But these are not the only causes. Illiteracy and lack of information about the disease can be the worst enemy for the child. Parents sometimes go for self-

4. cure methods or believe in local medication that further worsens the situation. Having access to the right information is crucial to curb the spread and prevent such high death ratios. Parents may finally take the child to a Pediatric specialist in India, but that could result in the loss of crucial time that could have been fruitfully used for treatment. Combating the disease with timely action Understanding the causes and symptoms and timely consultation with a doctor can make a key difference. Parents can do this to help tackle the disease at an individual level. At a macro level, the government and health authorities need to take initiatives to leverage the knowledge of a trained workforce within a systematic financed health system to achieve the best results. Many NGOs like Save the Children are involved with UNICEF and WHO to make a significant difference.

5. Causes of childhood pneumonia: Key points to remember: •It is an acute infection of the respiratory tract affecting the lungs. •Alveolitis in the lungs gets filled with fluids in a diseased person limiting oxygen intake. •Microbial organisms like bacteria, viruses, and fungi cause pneumonia. •It is a transmissible disease and can spread in numerous ways. •The germs spread from an infected person to a kid via air-borne droplets when they cough or sneeze. •It also spreads through blood, especially in babies and infants. Symptoms in kids under 5 •Cough

6. •Fast breathing •Difficulty in breathing •Fever may or may not be present •Chest retraction during inhalation •Cases of wheezing can be present Seriously ill kids may •Stop eating or drinking •Get unconscious •Experience convulsions and hypothermia The risk of childhood pneumonia is increased in kids with a compromised immune system resulting from malnutrition. Infants that are not breastfeeding or undernourished are also at greater risk. Kids having medical conditions like measles or HIV infection have higher chances of falling sick with pneumonia. Kids of parents who smoke regularly or live in crowded places are at higher risks. Indoor pollution caused due to extensive use of biomass fuels is also at heightened risk. Treatment:

7. Key points to remember: •Bacterial pneumonia requires antibiotics as an effective treatment. However, as per WHO, every one child in three has access to such antibiotics. •The antibiotics are oral and available at local health centers. These are usually not very expensive. •Only when it is a severe case is hospitalization recommended. Prevention Key points to remember:

8. •Immunization against diseases like measles, HIV, whooping cough, and pneumococcus is one of the most effective ways to prevent childhood pneumonia. •Another way to prevent this killer disease is consuming a nutritional diet. Breastfeeding is important to build the immune system of the child. •Controlling environmental pollution is crucial to preventing the disease. In India, the dependence on coal or wood-burning for cooking can increase the risk of childhood pneumonia. Similarly, burning crop waste and animal dung, which is quite common in rural areas, can increase air pollution, directly influencing factors that increase the chances of pneumonia in kids. •Encouraging younger kids to follow good hygiene, especially those living in crowded homes, is important. While the authorities can do a lot, at a microscopic level, it is vital to speak to your baby’s doctor as soon as you start to see the first symptoms. Consult top pediatric doctors today in the effort to make India free from childhood pneumonia. For More Information Visit social media –