On January 30, 2020 according to a recent report by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation(IHME), 14% of under 5 years of age deaths in India occurred mainly due to pneumonia. This accounted for approximately 1,27,000 deaths annually where the figure was around 1,78,000 in 2013.
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation(IHME) report:
Report on India:
i.The report has been released prior to the 1st-ever global forum on childhood pneumonia in Barcelona from January 29 to 31.
ii.50% of the under-5 deaths caused by pneumonia were from the northern belt of India.
iii.Pneumonia mortality rate: The current pneumonia mortality rate is 5 per 1,000 live births. The target has been set to reduce the mortality rate to less than 3 by 2025.
iv.JHU modelling: According to a modelling by Johns Hopkins University(JHU) in Maryland, United States(US), improving the pneumonia treatment can save 3.2 million under-5 aged children’s lives. This would prevent 5.7 million extra child deaths from other major childhood diseases
General Report:
i.Death rate: 9 million children are estimated to die in a decade if proper action is not taken to combat pneumonia.
- 2019 deaths: 8 lakh children have died in 2019 i.e., 1 child in every 39 seconds died.
- 2020-2030: 6.3 million children under age 5 could die due to pneumonia from 2020-2030.
- Deaths are likely to be highest in Nigeria (1.4 million), India (880,000), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC- 350,000) and Ethiopia (280,000).
ii.East Asia and Pacific: Indonesia tops the countries among East Asia and Pacific where deaths from pneumonia were forecasted to be highest between 2020-2030 (133,000).
iii.Air pollution: Outdoor air pollution contributed to 17.5% of pneumonia deaths among under-5 aged children worldwide whereas household pollution from the indoor use of solid cooking fuels contributes to an additional 1,95,000 (29.4%) deaths.
- 91% of the world’s population breathes outdoor air that exceeds World Health Organisation(WHO) standards.
iv.Pneumonia cause: Pneumonia is caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi, and affects the lungs of children.
v.Vaccination: Pneumonia can be prevented if vaccinated properly with low-cost antibiotics. As of now 10 million children are still unvaccinated where 1 in 3 children with Pneumonia symptoms do not receive medical care.
About Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation(IHME):
Fact- IHME is a research institute working in the area of global health statistics and impact evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, United States(US).
Founder- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
Headquarters- Seattle, United States(US).
Founded- 2007.
