World Pneumonia Day To Be Observed Tomorrow

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Nov, 2016 ) : World 'Pneumonia'day will be observed across the globe including Pakistan on November 12 (Saturday) to raise awareness about pneumonia, promote prevention and treatment, and generate action to fight the illness.

Different public and private health departments will organize seminars, conferences, discussion programs and awareness campaigns to highlight this years theme of'World Pneumonia Day'. news, messages, and events promoting World Pneumonia Day were publicized and made viral through social media networks, online, print and broadcast media, and word of mouth.

People were asked to help fight the disease by participating in education programs, voluntary work or contributing via donations. Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs, making breathing painful and limiting oxygen intake.

Pneumonia is the biggest killer of children under age 5 worldwide. Nearly one in five global child deaths result from pneumonia every year. Moreover, this is a preventable and treatable illness via vaccines, antibiotic treatment, and improved sanitation.

The United Nations (UN) first celebrated the day on November 12, 2009.

The WHO and UNICEF integrated Global action plan for pneumonia and diarrhoea (GAPPD) aims to accelerate pneumonia control with a combination of interventions to protect, prevent, and treat pneumonia in children with actions to protect children from pneumonia including promoting exclusive breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding prevent pneumonia with vaccinations, hand washing with soap, reducing household air pollution.

Treatment of pneumonia focusing on making sure that every sick child has access to the right kind of care either from a community- based health worker, or in a health facility. A number of countries including Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia have developed district, state and national plans to intensify actions for the control of pneumonia and diarrhoea.

Many more have integrated diarrhoea and pneumonia specific action into their national child health and child survival strategies. For many countries the post Millenium Development Goal agenda has explicitly included ending preventable diarrhoea and pneumonia deaths as a priority action. APP/zk/qmr