Every year on November 12, there is a celebration known as World Pneumonia Day to draw attention to and spread awareness of the problems and dangers associated with pneumonia. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that individuals over the age of 65 are also at the greatest risk for pneumonia, as do children under the age of five. As a result, it’s essential to be aware and take actions to stop the sickness before it gets out of hand.
Describe pneumonia.
Pneumonia is a condition that affects the lungs and makes the air sacs in the lungs worse because they become clogged with fluids or discharge as a result of an infection. It can be transmitted through sneezing and coughing as well as through bodily fluids like blood during childbirth. Depending on the patient’s health, the symptoms may be minor or severe.
Day Against Pneumonia (WPD)
The Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia’s “Stop Pneumonia” campaigns led to the creation of World Pneumonia Day in 2009. To combat child mortality brought on by respiratory diseases, a coalition of several institutions was established. Globally, there was a lot of support for Stop Pneumonia, and both public and private organizations improved their policies and campaigns to inform the public and upgrade facilities, particularly in low- and middle-income nations.
Significance
The most common infectious disease, pneumonia, killed 2.5 million people worldwide in 2019, including 672,000 children. A global pneumonia catastrophe is being fueled by COVID-19, climate change, and conflict, putting millions more at risk of illness and death. According to the Stop Pneumonia Org, the predicted burden of fatalities from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19, in 2021 was a staggering 6 million.
This year, World Pneumonia Day will be commemorated during COP27, the UN Climate Change Conference, offering a crucial chance to unite the health, air quality, and climate communities in the struggle against the world’s leading infectious killer.
The fight against the leading infectious cause of death in both adults and children has never been more urgent. 672,000 children were among the 2.5 million people who died from pneumonia in 2019 alone.
The combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and conflict put millions more people at danger of catching the illness and dying from it. In 2021, respiratory infections like COVID-19 are expected to kill 6 million people. However, the extremely young and the very old are the ones who are most at risk.
Children are particularly at risk in areas where immunization rates are declining, malnutrition rates are rising as a result of food scarcity, and homes are heated and cooked with polluting fuels.
The Mérieux Foundation and Every Breath Counts have given 11 civil society organizations small funding to promote activities that increase local engagement in the battle against pneumonia on World Pneumonia Day, November 12, 2022.
The majority of the populations that are severely exposed to pneumonia reside in a collection of low- and middle-income nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, which includes the 11 nations where the winning entries were submitted.
They will have a significant impact on a disease that is both preventable and treatable through their efforts to mobilize communities, educate, and empower families, as well as enhance health systems to prevent, diagnose, and treat pneumonia.
Everything you need to know about World Pneumonia Day in 2022
