Every year November 12th proffers an annual forum for the world to stand together against pneumonia. It was in 2019 first when one more than 100 non government organisations joined forces as the Global coalition against child in Ammonia to hold the first World Pneumonia Day on November 2nd. However the date was later changed as Artist ambassadors from Save the Children organisation Global Health Council and Sabita vaccine joined together.
Pneumonia is categorised as the world’s most threatening infection claiming lives of around 2.5 million people and also a leading cause of death for children under five. It is a multifactorial infection of the upper respiratory tract which mainly affects the lungs, the nose and the throat.
As an initiative against pneumonia, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent health and Nutrition (RMNCHA+N) program of National Health Mission in 2019 formulated SAANS (Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully) to reduce deaths due to Childhood Pneumonia for villages as well as urban areas.Under the initiative, National Childhood Pneumonia Management Guidelines on treatment and management of Childhood Pneumonia; Skill building and training of service providers for identification and standardized management of Pneumonia; and a 360 degree communication to ensure greater awareness on childhood Pneumonia among families and parents has been sought.
This year, the World Pneumonia Day is being celebrated at the COP26- United Nations climate change conference under the theme ‘Stop Pneumonia/ Every Breath counts’. The theme is targeted at increasing the number of affordable medicines and oxygen cylinders and developing nations. In 2013 the W H O and UNICEF coalesced to reduce the number of deaths attributed to pneumonia by an integrated action plan for prevention and control of the infection and diarrhoea. The motive is to reduce the number of deaths attributed to pneumonia in children by 2025.