The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have released The integrated Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhea (GAPPD) that details the strategic plan for reducing the death and illness caused by childhood pneumonia and diarrhea. Pneumonia and diarrhea claim the lives of more than two million children each year.

Save the Children’s new report, Superfood for Babies, estimates that breastfeeding immediately after birth could save the lives of 830,000 babies around the world every year. The report explains that earlier breastfeeding is also associated with exclusive breastfeeding through the first six months of a child’s life – which is a protective measure against diseases, including pneumonia and diarrhea. The document also describes the barriers that often prevent mothers from breastfeeding, including societal and cultural beliefs, access to healthcare, and a marketing emphasis on formula. The report can be viewed online here.

Leading child health agencies have joined forces to announce plans to work together on an unprecedented scale to increase access to amoxicillin in dispersible tablet form – the recommended antibiotic treatment for children under five suffering from pneumonia.*

In 2011, a staggering 1.3 million children died from pneumonia, making it the leading killer of children under five. Despite the existence of low-cost and highly effective antibiotics, less than one third of children with suspected pneumonia use antibiotics and a tiny minority receive amoxicillin in the ideal form for small children – a tablet that dissolves in liquid.

Marking the fourth annual World Pneumonia Day, November 12th, world leaders and the Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia are calling for major efforts in the fight against childhood pneumonia, which remains the number one killer of children under age five. Pneumonia claimed 1.3 million lives in 2011 alone, and was responsible for nearly one in five global child deaths. “Pneumonia can be prevented and cured. Yet, for too long it has been the leading cause of global deaths among children. We know what to do, and we have made great progress – but we must do more. We must scale-up proven solutions and ensure they reach every child in need,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who spearheads Every Woman Every Child, an umbrella movement that has leveraged more than $20 billion in new money for women’s and children’s health and aims to save 16 million lives by 2015.