Protect Your Child Against Pneumonia – the Leading Cause of Death in Children

World Pneumonia Day – 2 November 2009

Up to 61 million children under the age of five in South East Asia are expected to develop pneumonia over the next year[1].


Pneumonia kills more children than any other illness – more than aids, malaria and measles combined[2]. Alarming statistics show that one child dies from pneumonia every 15 seconds. 5,500 children every day. Two million children every year[3].

World Pneumonia Day (November 2, 2009) recognizes the millions of deaths caused by pneumonia and encourages parents across the world to take action to overcome the impact of this preventable disease.

The leading cause of pneumonia deaths in children is pneumococcal disease[4]. Pneumococcal disease is also a major cause of meningitis and sepsis (blood poisoning)[4]. Vaccination is the most effective way to ensure children are protected from this serious disease.

The Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) is a global voice for the organisations and patient groups which continue to be formed to raise awareness about meningitis and sepsis and provide support for those affected by the devastating diseases.

As pneumonia and meningitis are serious health concerns for children, CoMO members continue to work within communities to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of disease and advocate early detection and prevention of disease via national immunisation programmes.

It has been estimated that more than one million lives could be saved each year if both prevention and treatment interventions for pneumonia were implemented worldwide[5].

The WHO has recommended the priority inclusion of pneumococcal disease vaccine, PCV7, in national childhood immunisations worldwide since 2007[6]."Since the introduction of PCV7 to infant immunisation schedules in the United States, there has been a 65 percent decline in hospital admissions for pneumococcal pneumonia for children younger than two[7]." said Professor Lulu Bravo, Philippine Foundation for Vaccination and CoMO member who is participating in the World Pneumonia Day Summit in New York.

"In addition to vaccination, parents can proactively manage flu like symptoms in their children to recognise and help prevent the onset of more serious illnesses such as pneumonia and meningitis. It's important that families remain as healthy as possible to fight off illness, particularly in light of recent developments in infections like the swine flu (H1N1)," said Professor Bravo.

"Enough restful sleep and drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration is essential in preventing more serious illness," said Professor Bravo. According to Mr Bruce Langoulant, President of CoMO, "It is important that parent are doing everything they can to minimise the illness in their families".

Below is a checklist which parents can use to reduce illness and protect against serious infection[8].

* Ensure your children drink plenty of fluids to help thin mucus and prevent dehydration. Provide your baby with water between feeds.

* Cover nose blowing, coughing and sneezing with a tissue and dispose of used tissues carefully.

* Wash hands with soap regularly, especially before cooking or eating and after blowing nose.
* Wash children’s dummies and toys regularly.
* Avoid sharing utensils used for eating and drinking.
* Eat a healthy, balanced diet.

* Ensure children are kept away from cigarette smoke – it can make symptoms worse.
For more information, parents are encouraged to speak to their doctor.
Interviews are available with:
Mr Bruce Langoulant
President, Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO)
Dr Lulu Bravo
Philippine Foundation for Vaccination
For further information or to coordinate interviews, please contact:
Andrea Brady – andreabrady01@gmail.com or +64 212 545 324.
About CoMO:

The Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) was established in 2004 to be a global voice for the organisations and patient groups which continue to be formed to raise awareness about meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning) and to ensure support is available for those affected. CoMO is now comprised of

26 meningitis and children's health organisations and 7 individual advocates from around the world and is working to strengthen its network of families and healthcare professionals within the Asia Pacific region.
For more information please visit: www.comoonline.org
References:
[1] Rudan l, Boschi-Pinto C, Biloglav Z, Mulholland K & Campbell H.
Epidemiology and etiology of childhood pneumonia. Bulletin of the World Health
Organization 2008; 86:408-416. Accessed 16 October 2209
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/5/07-048769.pdf
[2] World Health Organization, Pneumonia: the forgotten killer of children,
2006. Accessed 13 August 2009
http://www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/documents/9280640489/en/
[3] PneumoADIP, Child Death and Disability: Pneumococcal disease and
pneumonia, Child Morbidity and Mortality, 2009. Accessed 16 October 2009
http://www.preventpneumo.org/diseases/child_morbidity_and_mortality/index.cfm
[4] PneumoADIP, Serious pneumococcal infections are a major global health
problem and are vaccine preventable, Fact Sheet: Pneumococcal Disease, 2009.
Accessed 16 October 2009
http://www.pneumoadip.org/resources/factsheets/pneumococcal.cfm
[5] Unicef, Pneumonia, Pneumonia kills more children worldwide than any
other single cause, 6 May 2008. Accessed 15 October 2009
http://www.unicef.org/health/index_43828.html
[6] World Health Organization. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for childhood
immunization, March 2007- WHO position paper. Wkly Epidemiol Record 2007;12:
93-104 Accessed 13 October 2009
http://www.who.int/immunization/wer8212pneumococcus_child_Mar07_position_paper.
pdf
[7] Grijalva, CG MD. Effectiveness of PCV7 in Pneumonia: The United States
xperience. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA,
2009.
[8] Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Pharmacy Self Care Health
Information, Colds and Flu, 2009.