Key Facts

Disease

What is pneumonia?

• Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs, filling them with fluid.
• It causes cough and fever and can make breathing difficult.
• Severe pneumonia can be deadly.

Who is most at risk?

• In developing countries, children under 5 years of age are at risk, especially in the poorest communities.[1]
• Tobacco smoke and other indoor air pollution increase susceptibility to pneumonia.[2],[3]
• Some children and adults are at greater risk because they have other illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS.[4], [5] People with HIV stand a much greater chance of dying from pneumonia than those who do not have HIV.[6]
• Children who are poorly nourished can also have weakened immune systems, putting them at higher risk of contracting pneumonia.[7]

What causes pneumonia?

• Globally, bacteria such as Hib and pneumococcus are estimated to cause more than 50% of pneumonia deaths in children under 5 years of age. [8]
• Viruses and fungi can also cause pneumonia infections.[9]

How is pneumonia diagnosed?

• In resource-poor settings, pneumonia can be diagnosed by the symptoms it causes, including cough, fever and difficulty or fast breathing.[10]
• Chest X-rays and laboratory tests can also diagnose pneumonia, but these tools are often unavailable in developing countries, especially in remote rural communities, making it more difficult to diagnose and treat pneumonia.

How is pneumonia prevented and treated?

• Some pneumonia can often be prevented with vaccines against Hib and pneumococcus.[11]
• Measles and pertussis (whooping cough) infections can result in pneumonia complications, so vaccinating against these childhood diseases can prevent some pneumonia cases.[12]
• Inexpensive antibiotics can effectively treat pneumonia at the community level.[13]

References

Toll

• More than one million children die from pneumonia each year. [1]
• Pneumonia is the leading cause of death among children under 5 years of age worldwide.[2]
• One child dies from pneumonia every 20 seconds.  That’s 4,300 young lives lost every day.[3]

Most children who die of pneumonia live in developing countries

• 98% of children who die of pneumonia live in developing countries.[4], [5]

Pneumonia causes needless suffering and stress on families

• Illness and hospitalization due to pneumonia are preventable sources of suffering and stress, as the disease is preventable with tools like Hib and pneumococcal vaccines, and the integrated collection of steps that can be taken to protect children.
• Each year, there are more than 150 million episodes of pneumonia in young children in developing countries, and more than 11 million children need hospitalization for pneumonia.[6], [7]

Pneumonia contributes to the cycle of poverty

• Pneumonia is an economic burden for families and communities.[8], [9]
• The financial costs of pneumonia include hospital stays and medications, transportation to health centers, and the caretakers’ inability to work or take care of other family members while they are caring for a sick child.[10], [11]
• Families often must take out large loans to pay for care of their seriously ill child, which may further drag them into deep poverty.
• These costs further contribute to the cycle of poverty for many families.

References

Pneumonia is a problem with solutions

More than ever before, we know how to protect children, to prevent them from becoming infected, and to treat infection. Every 20 seconds, pneumonia kills another child. That’s 4,300 child deaths every day, and a staggering 1+ million child deaths every year from a preventable, treatable disease.[1] Now is the time to put knowledge into action to deliver these solutions to all children around the world.

Get more details on strategies to fight pneumonia:

Protect | Prevent | Treat

We can protect from pneumonia

• Exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life is an important and easy way to help protect children from pneumonia and many other diseases.[2]
• Other strategies, like good nutrition for older children [3], hand-washing [4], and reducing indoor air pollution [5], [6] can also help protect children from pneumonia.

Preventing pneumonia before it occurs is key

• Vaccines are a safe and effective tool for preventing pneumonia before it occurs.
• Vaccines against two of the main causes of life-threatening pneumonia – pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae) and Hib (Haemophilus influenzae b) [7] – are used throughout the developed world.
• However, millions of children in developing countries still lack access to these life-saving vaccines.
• Measles and pertussis (ie. whooping cough) vaccines can prevent infections that can lead to pneumonia as a complication. [8]

Children should have access to effective and affordable treatment

• Most serious cases of pneumonia can be treated using antibiotics, which typically cost less than one dollar per dose. [9]
• Tragically, only an estimated 1 of every 5 children with pneumonia receives antibiotics. [10]
• Effective “case management” strategies can help to ensure that children receive the right treatment for pneumonia quickly, even in the poorest communities. [11]

References