November 12: World Pneumonia Day

Every year, World Pneumonia Day is celebrated on November 12 by World Health Organization, UNICEF and several other international organizations.

Key Highlights

The first World Pneumonia Day was marked in 2019 by Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia.

GAPP

The Global Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia called GAPP was released by WHO and UNICEF in 2009. According to GAPP, around 1 million children can be saved every year if treatment and prevention of pneumonia is widely introduced in poorest countries of the world.

About Pneumonia

A course of antibiotics that is less than 1 USD in cost of capable of curing the disease, provided the treatment is started in early stages.

The Need

Pneumonia sickens 155 million children under 5 and kills 1.6 million each year. This make the disease number one killer of children under 5 than that of malaria, AIDS, measles.

Global Action Plan for Pneumonia and Diarrhea

The GAPPD was launched by UNICEF and WHO in 2009. The main objective of the programme is to reduce the number of children under five who are stunted and end preventable childhood deaths from diarrhoea and pneumonia.

Pneumonia in India

According to the World Health Organization, one in five children in India are affected by Pneumonia. In 2018, Pneumonia killed more than 1,27,000 children. 53% of Pneumonia in India is caused due to chold wasting, 27% due to outdoor air pollution and 22% caused by indoor air pollution.

Pneumonia Vaccine in India

In July 2020, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) approved the first indigenously developed pneumonia vaccine. It was developed by Serum Institute of India Limited.

Sustainable Development Goal

By reducing the deaths of children due to Pneumonia and Diarrhoea, one can achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of reducing under five mortality to at least to 25 per 1,000 live births by 2030.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2020