Pneumonia | 28 Jul 2021

Why in News

Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported that Pneumonia contributes 16.9% of infant deaths and it is the 2^nd highest cause of infant mortality (after prematurity & low birth weight).

• In November 2020, the annual Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Progress Report was released by the International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC).

Key Points

• About:
  
  • Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection of the lungs. It is also a Pneumococcal disease caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcus.
• Cause:
  
  • It doesn’t have one single cause – it can develop from either bacteria, viruses or fungi in the air.
• Vulnerability:
  
  • Children whose immune systems are immature (i.e. newborns) or weakened – such as by undernourishment, or diseases like HIV – are more vulnerable to pneumonia.
• Spread:
  
  • Pneumonia is contagious and can be spread through coughing or sneezing. It can also be spread through fluids, like blood during childbirth, or from contaminated surfaces.
• Vaccine:
  
  • Pneumonia caused by bacteria is easily preventable with vaccines. 3 doses of the primary vaccine (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) to prevent it are recommended.
  • A new vaccine for one of the main viral causes of pneumonia is under development.
    
    • India has introduced nationwide rollout of PCV under Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).
• Diseases Burden:
  
  • Global: Together, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and Pakistan account for more than half of all deaths due to pneumonia among children under 5.
  • Annually, India witnesses an estimated 71% of pneumonia deaths and 57% of severe pneumonia cases.
• Initiatives Related to Pneumonia:
  
  • Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS): The aim is to reduce child mortality due to pneumonia, which contributes to around 15% of deaths of children under the age of five annually.
    
    • The government aims to achieve a target of reducing pneumonia deaths among children to less than three per 1,000 live births by 2025.
  • In 2014, India launched ‘Integrated Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (IAPPD)’ to undertake collaborative efforts towards prevention of diarrhoea and Pneumonia related under-five deaths.
    
    • The WHO and UNICEF had launched an integrated Global Action Plan for Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (GAPPD).

Source: PIB