What causes pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection of the lungs. It doesn’t have one single cause – it can develop from either bacteria, viruses or fungi in the air. When a child is infected, their lungs get inflamed, may fill with fluid or pus and it becomes difficult to breathe. Children whose immune systems are immature (i.e. newborns or premature babies) along with those with poor immunities (i.e. due to undernourishment or diseases like HIV) are more vulnerable to pneumonia.
What are pneumonia symptoms?
As pneumonia is an infection of the lungs, the most common symptoms are coughing, trouble breathing and fever. Children with pneumonia usually experience fast breathing, or their lower chest may draw in or retract when they inhale (in a healthy person, the chest expands during inhalation).
What are pneumonia treatments?
The treatment for pneumonia depends on the type of pneumonia. In developing countries, the largest number of pneumonia cases are caused by bacteria and can be treated with low cost antibiotics. Yet many children with pneumonia do not receive the antibiotics they need because they lack access to quality health care. Other causes of pneumonia are viruses or mycobacteria (e.g. those causing tuberculosis) requiring other treatments. Tuberculosis in particular often remains un-diagnosed in children.
Is there a pneumonia vaccine?
Pneumonia caused by bacteria is easily preventable with vaccines. However, 40 per cent of children around the world are not fully protected with the primary vaccine to prevent pneumonia – the Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine. In addition, other vaccines such as Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis and measles-containing vaccines and Hemophilus Influenza B (Hib) vaccine protects children from pneumonia.
Where are the most children dying from pneumonia?
The countries with the largest number of child pneumonia deaths are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
Child deaths from pneumonia are concentrated in the world’s poorest countries. Within these countries, it is the most deprived and marginalized children who suffer the most. They often have limited or no access to basic health services and are more likely to suffer from other health threats like malnutrition, infectious diseases and polluted air. They often live in fragile or humanitarian settings, where often risk factors increase and health systems break down.
How big a factor is malnutrition in pneumonia related deaths?
Wasting is the leading risk factor for deaths from pneumonia among children. It’s the most visible and life-threatening form of malnutrition. When a child is too thin and their immune systems are weak, they’re far more vulnerable to diseases like pneumonia. Wasting tends to occur very early in life and disproportionately impacts children under 2 years of age. It’s essential that we invest in nutrition services to prevent children from dying from pneumonia.
What is needed to stop pneumonia?
Swift action and investments are required to ensure that no child dies from pneumonia and other preventable or treatable diseases, this includes: reducing risk factors, protecting children’s immune systems and ensuring all children have access to good-quality health care, free at the point of use, with well trained and equipped health workers.
What UNICEF is calling for
- Strengthening and prioritization of routine immunization and scaling up coverage of PCV, measles and DTP vaccines to above 90% to ensure every child is protected from pneumonia.
- Improving basic oxygen access and use, so no child is left fighting for breath.
- Investing in the prevention and treatment of severe acute malnutrition, to reduce child deaths from pneumonia.
- Investing in health workers and infrastructure to put essential health services within easy reach of families. Health workers much have the right training, medicines and diagnostic tools.
- Continued action to engage and empower communities to support prevention and treatment.
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