CB BureauThe first-ever report tracking global progress against pneumonia, the leading killer of children under five years of age, finds that India is witnessing the highest number of pneumonia-related child deaths in the world. The infection is killing 16 lakh children under five every year across the globe, with more than 3.7 lakh in India alone.
Released by the International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC), on behalf of the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia, the report warns India of the immediate steps needed to reach committed levels of coverage for the life-saving interventions that can protect children against pneumonia.
The survey looks at prevention, protection and treatment efforts in India and 14 other countries (that report the most child pneumonia deaths), against the pneumonia intervention targets fixed in the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia (GAPP), issued by WHO and UNICEF last year.
GAPP had said that two-thirds of child pneumonia deaths globally could be prevented if children had access to seven simple interventions: prevention measures – including the use of measles, pertussis, pneumococcal and Hib vaccines, protection measures including rates of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life, and treatment, namely the rates of children with suspected pneumonia being taken to a health facility and of children with pneumonia receiving treatment with antibiotics.