Islamabad
World Health Organization (WH) has claimed that pneumonia accounts for 15% of all deaths of children under five years old, killing 808,694 only in year 2017 across the globe. According to WHO report, pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide affecting children and families everywhere, but is most prevalent in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
It said that addressing environmental factors such as indoor air pollution and encouraging good hygiene in crowded homes also reduces the number of children who fall ill with pneumonia. It said that adequate nutrition is key to improving children’s natural defences, starting with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. In addition to being effective in preventing pneumonia, it also helps to reduce the length of the illness if a child does become ill.
The WHO said that preventing pneumonia in children is an essential component of a strategy to reduce child mortality. It added immunization against hib, pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough or pertussis is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia. It added that Pneumonia should be treated with antibiotics. Most cases of pneumonia require oral antibiotics, which are often prescribed at a health centre.
These cases can also be diagnosed and treated with inexpensive oral antibiotics at the community level by trained community health workers. Hospitalization is recommended only for severe cases of pneumonia, it added. Dr Wasim Khawaja from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) said that pneumonia can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi while it can be prevented by immunization, adequate nutrition, and by addressing environmental factors.
He said pneumonia caused by bacteria can be treated with antibiotics, but only one third of children with pneumonia receive the antibiotics they need. He said pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs. The lungs are made up of small sacs called alveoli, which fill with air when a healthy person breathes. When an individual has pneumonia, the alveoli are filled with pus and fluid, which makes breathing painful and limits oxygen intake. Dr Sharif Astori from Federal Government Polyclinic (FGPC) hospital said pneumonia can spread in a number of ways.—APP
