Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the airways of one or both lungs. The air sacs may be filled with liquid or pus, causing cough, fever, chills and difficulty breathing. Various organisms cause pneumonia, including bacteria, viruses and fungi.
Pneumonia can be severe for infants under the age of 5 and older people over the age of 65, as well as health-related issues and people with weak immune systems.
World Pneumonia Day aims to raise awareness of the public health problem of pneumonia and help prevent the deaths of millions of children that can be avoided each year due to pneumonia. It is organized by the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia to provoke donors and policymakers to fight pneumonia.
This year in 2019, the 10th anniversary of World Pneumonia Day will be going to celebrate to fight against pneumonia. Although it is a preventable and treatable disease, pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death among children under five.
Word Pneumonia Day: History
The Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia established World Pneumonia Day in 2009. When the first World Pneumonia Day is launched, pneumonia kills about 1.2 million children each year. In 2013, WHO and UNICEF released the integrated Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea. It sets the goal that by 2025, there will be no more than three pneumonia deaths per 1,000 live births in each country.
What are the Symptoms of Pneumonia?
- – Pain in chest during breathing or coughing.
- – Fatigue
- – Fever, sweating and shaking chills
- – Fast breathing and shortness of breath
- – Due to cough in lungs, green phelgm or sputum.
- – Weakness
- – Diarrhoea
- – Headache
- – Muscle pain
- – Cases of some kind of confusion have also seen in older adults.
- – Nausea or vomiting
How is pneumonia caused?
The common cause of pneumonia is bacteria known as Streptococcus pneumoniae. Other bacterial causal organisms are Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae etc.
Pneumonia: Treatment and Vaccination
There is no doubt that pneumonia can be prevented, and timely vaccination can also reduce the possibility of causing disease. Vaccines that provide immunity against pneumonia in India are:
- – PCV (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine)
- – Measles vaccines
- – Hib vaccine
How pneumonia can be prevented?
The three-fold strategies to fight against pneumonia apart from immunisation are:
- – In kids, six months of exclusive breastfeeding.
- – A healthy diet including zinc and vitamin A supplements.
- – Ensuring cleanliness and hygiene.
If there is a healthy lifestyle not only pneumonia but also you can prevent yourself from other diseases as well.
Therefore, it can be said that pneumonia is a contagious disease that can be cured by appropriate immunization, but there are still several deaths worldwide. November 12 is World Pneumonia Day, which aims to raise awareness of pneumonia, how it is caused, treated and prevented.
