World Pneumonia Day is celebrated annually on November 12 in order to raise awareness of pneumonia and the importance of disease prevention and treatment. The Day provides the world with an annual forum to stand together and demand action to tackle pneumonia. The global coalition against child pneumonia, which was organized on the first World Pneumonia Day on November 2, 2009, has brought together more than 100 organizations representing children’s interests.
In 2009, Stop Pneumonia established World Pneumonia Day to raise awareness about pneumonia – the world’s leading killer of children, and also to encourage global action to fight, prevent, and treat this deadly disease effectively. Pneumonia is the single largest adult or child infectious killer – taking 2.5 million lives in 2019, of which 672,000 are children. Although pneumonia is an easily preventable and treatable disease, a more responsive and preventive approach is still needed in order to save millions of people’s lives.
World Pneumonia Day during Global Pandemic
During a global pandemic that is significantly rising pneumonia fatalities from COVID-19 and other causes This year, COVID-19 might raise the death toll to 1.9 million. This could lead to more than 75% more deaths from all-causing pneumonia. This death burden is not caused by any other infection. Health care disruptions are believed to lead to a further 2,3 million child deaths, 35 percent of which are caused by pneumonia and new-born sepsis.
Concerning COVID-19, the world has been aware of the dangers associated with lower respiratory infections and of the challenge to population health and economic advances, and to the achievement of both national and economic targets, including the majority of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). Although COVID-19 deaths impact adults disproportionately, according to recent model estimates, up to 2.3 million additional children could die this year due to health care disruptions.
Global public-private partnership Every Breath Counts supports national governments to end pneumonia deaths by 2030 by providing financial and technical support.
World Pneumonia Day 2022 Campaign –“Pneumonia Affects Everyone”
Pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of death in both adults and children, claiming the lives of 2.5 million people in 2019 alone, including 672,000 children. Another two million deaths due to COVID-19 will occur in 2020, bringing the total to over four million. There is no other infection that is capable of causing such a large number of deaths. COP 26 – the UN Climate Change Conference – will host World Pneumonia Day on November 12th, 2021.
Swikriti Dandotia
