The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Niloufer observes World Pneumonia Day

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Tuesday, Nov 03, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Niloufer observes World Pneumonia Day

Staff Reporter

According to WHO data, one child dies of pneumonia every minute in the country

HYDERABAD: If children are properly nourished and immunised at the right age, and adults refrain from indoor air pollution (by not smoking at home and taking care to see that smoke emitted during cooking with biomass fuels is vented out through chimneys), pneumonia, the disease that kills more children globally than AIDS, measles and malaria put together, can be cut down to a great extent.

Killer disease

According to the World Health Organisation, the killer disease is the leading cause of death among children worldwide, taking the lives of an estimated 18 lakh children every year, of which about one third (about five lakh) are from our country, said Superintendent of Niloufer Hospital Dr. P. Sudershan Reddy on Monday.

World Pneumonia Day was observed here for the first time on Monday.

Speaking about the alarming proportions the disease has assumed, Dr. Reddy cited the WHO data published in medical journal The Lancet in September this year that stated one child dies of pneumonia every minute in the country.

“At 27 per cent, India is Number One in pneumonia-related deaths among children. Hence it is all the more imperative to observe and create awareness on the disease.”

Pneumonia infections are caused by viruses and fungi but most pneumonia deaths are caused by bacteria such as Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib) and pneumococcus, according to Dr. S. Sanjay, member of Asian Strategic Alliance for Pneumococcal disease prevention (ASAP). Both pneumococcus and Hib are potentially preventable, he said.

Symptoms

Elders, upon noticing the symptoms of the disease – rapid or difficulty in breathing, cough, fever, chills, loss of appetite and wheezing – need to consult a doctor, said A. Tilak Chandrapal, president of Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Twin cities branch. “When it becomes severe, children may experience retraction of lower chest wall during inhalation. Infants may be unable to feed or drink and may also experience unconsciousness, hypothermia and convulsions.”

“Childhood pneumonia can be treated by antibiotics prescribed by a health centre or hospital. In a lot of cases, the disease can be effectively administered at home. Hospitalisation is recommended in case of infants aged two months and younger, and also in severe cases,” said Dr. Reddy.

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