WHO lists key strategies to prevent pneumonia in kids

REDUCING exposure to indoor air pollution, ensuring adequate nutrition, promoting immunization, avoiding smoking near children, and improving housing conditions are among the ways to prevent pneumonia, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

In a post on Facebook on Sunday, WHO said it has intensified efforts to raise awareness about preventing pneumonia in children.

«Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children. It's a form of acute respiratory infection affecting the lungs, caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi,» WHO said.

Bacterial pneumonia often results from streptococcus pneumoniae, a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia. In contrast, viral pneumonia is frequently linked to influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.

Fungal pneumonia typically affects those with compromised immune systems. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute identifies age, environmental pollutants, smoking, and chronic health conditions as significant risk factors for pneumonia.

The symptoms include persistent cough, rapid and labored breathing, retraction of the skin around the ribs and breastbone, flaring nostrils, chest pain especially when coughing or breathing deeply, wheezing, and a bluish tint to the lips or nails due to reduced oxygen levels in the bloodstream.

Last year, pneumonia was the leading infectious disease killer of children, claiming the lives of over 700,000 children under the age of five — equivalent to around 2,000 deaths each day.

The figure includes approximately 190,000 newborns, according to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.

Globally, there are over 1,400 cases of pneumonia per 100,000 children each year, or roughly one case per 71 children. The highest incidence rates are in South Asia, with 2,500 cases per 100,000 children, and in West and Central Africa, with 1,620 cases per 100,000 children.

In 2020, the Philippines reported 87,500 pneumonia cases. Last year, pneumonia was the fifth leading cause of death in the country, with 13,462 fatalities, accounting for 5.8 percent of all deaths.

Preventing pneumonia can be achieved through simple measures, such as vaccination. The