World Pneumonia Day 2021 – Every Breath Counts to Stop Pneumonia

Highlights:

World Pneumonia Day was first organized by the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia
The day aims to spread awareness about pneumonia causes, treatment, and prevention to fight the illness collectively
2021 event will highlight the role of air pollution in pneumonia deaths

World Pneumonia Day is observed on 12 November worldwide to raise awareness of pneumonia as a public health issue and serve as a platform for providing solutions, resources, and other approaches to the disease.

Pneumonia - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, Complications
Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by a bacteria or a virus. It causes inflammation of the alveoli or the air sacs of the lungs.

‘This World Pneumonia Day, Every Breath Counts initiative is calling on countries to take action to reduce air pollution-related pneumonia deaths.’
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What is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infection caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses that affects the lungs. Symptoms include cough, fever, chills, fatigue, chest pain, and shortness of breath.

Despite being easily treatable, pneumonia is the single biggest infectious killer of adults and children, claiming the lives of 2.5 million, including 672,000 children, in 2019.

Quiz on Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a serious respiratory tract infection that is often life-threatening in the elderly, children or those with reduced immunity. See how much you know about pneumonia by taking this quiz.

Facts Regarding Pneumonia

There is not just one cause, pneumonia can be caused by bacteria or fungi, or both simultaneously or viruses by breathing in the food we eat, or inhaling dust, or any smallest toxin in the air.
Even though preventable and treatable with low-cost medicines, pneumonia accounts for 15% of death in children.
Immunization, proper treatment on time, and adequate nutrition can help prevent the disease.
Lung health seriously compromised.
In infants, symptoms manifest in the form of convulsions, hypothermia (low body temperature), unconsciousness, and difficulty eating.
Breastfeeding helps in fighting against it by providing greater immunity in children.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Increases In Patients With Sepsis Or Pneumonia After Hospital Admission
The risk of a first cardiovascular disease diagnosis can remain persistently high for several years after a serious infection in patients with pneumonia or sepsis.

History

World Pneumonia Day was celebrated as an annual event in 2009 on November 12 by the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia. When the campaign was first launched, pneumonia was estimated to kill 1.2 million children every year.

Later, WHO and UNICEF 2013 released an integrated action plan to prevent and control pneumonia and diarrhea. It set a goal that by 2025, there should be no more than three pneumonia deaths per 1000 births in every country.

Blood Transfusion With Old Blood Increases Risk of Bacterial Pneumonia
Blood stored longer may be less safe for patients with massive blood loss and shock as transfusion with such older stored RBCs increases the severity of bacterial pneumonia. This finding calls for improvement in the safety of stored red blood cell transfusions.

Significance and Objectives

The main significance and objectives of World Pneumonia Day are:

To raise awareness about pneumonia, the leading killer of young children.
To promote interventions that will help prevent, protect and treat pneumonia.
To highlight the approaches and solutions to the disease and the need for any additional resources and attention.
Increase action, continue donor investment in fighting pneumonia and other deadly childhood diseases.

Every Breath Counts Coalition

This year, World Pneumonia Day will be held during COP 26 – the UN Climate Change Conference. This is a critical moment to bring together the health, air quality, and climate community to tackle the biggest infectious killer on the planet.

One of the main risk factors for pneumonia-related death across all age groups is air pollution.

Polluted air contributed to 749,200 pneumonia deaths, of which 423,000 occurred due to household air pollution, whereas 326,000 occurred due to outdoor air pollution.

Household air pollution from regularly used fuels for cooking, heating, and lighting affects the children more. While outdoor air pollution from pollutants emitted by industries and vehicle smoke affect solder adults.

90% of air pollution-related deaths are concentrated in many low- and middle-income countries.

In many African and Asian countries, air pollution contributes to more than 50 percent of all pneumonia deaths. While pneumonia deaths from household air pollution are declining, they are tragically increasing due to outdoor air pollution.

These facts show that action is needed for clean air. Reducing air pollution will deliver many benefits to health, the environment, and the global economy.

This World Pneumonia Day, Every Breath Counts initiative calls on high-burden countries to take integrated, multisectoral action to reduce air pollution-related pneumonia deaths.

How Is World Pneumonia Day Celebrated?

Events, messages, and news about the disease are conducted worldwide by global health organizations and the medical fraternity. With social media and the internet, campaigns can now become viral and generate a lot of curiosity and awareness.

People are encouraged to participate in education programs and contribute to voluntary work by making donations or setting up booths that will speak about preventing and protecting oneself against the disease.

Pneumonia can be eradicated in infants by 2030by spreading awareness and raising the importance of taking action and not leaving anything to luck or chance.

References:

World Pneumonia Day - (https://stoppneumonia.org/latest/world-pneumonia-day/)
World Pneumonia Day 12 November 2021 - (https://www.apsresp.org/archive/world-days/2021-pneumonia.html)
Pushing the Pace: The Pneumonia Innovations Summit was held on Thursday, November 12th, in New York City. Materials available here. - (https://www.worldpneumoniaday.org/)

Source-Medindia