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.
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.