Pneumonia: The Killer Disease
The most infectious killer of adults and children under the age of five.
The world is suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic and child pneumonia-related deaths this year. Today, November 12th is World Pneumonia Day. This year it will be held during a global pandemic Covid-19. Pneumonia is the most infectious killer disease which claimed about a 2.5million people in 2019, including 672,000 children¹.
Covid-19 has shaken up the world and made us realize how unprepared the world is to deal with such a wide-scaled, rapidly increasing viral infection. Covid-19 could cause disproportionate deaths among adults adding up to1.9 million deaths in 2020. It is also estimated that up to 2.3 million children could die this year due to disruptions in health services, pneumonia, and other newborn sepsis. At least 35% of deaths in children will be from pneumonia alone¹.
What is Pneumonia and how it is transmitted?
Pneumonia is a lung-related infection caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Pneumonia infects the lungs, causes inflammation of air sacs of the lungs leading to the reduced functionality of the lungs. It can affect people of all ages, but it is life-threatening particularly for older adults and young children.
It can be transmitted in several ways. The viruses and bacteria can be easily inhaled through the nose or throat. It can also spread via air-borne droplets while coughing or sneezing Pneumonia may also spread through blood during birth and shortly after birth.
Finding the causes and transmission of pneumonia is critical and need more extensive research to treat and prevent it.
What Causes Pneumonia?
Pneumonia could be caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungi. The most common are:
- Streptococcus pneumonia — caused by bacterial
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) — caused by bacterial pneumonia
- Orthomyxoviridae —caused form virus.
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common viral cause of pneumonia
- Pneumocystis jiroveci — common in infants infected with HIV.
Pneumonia can be easily preventable and treatable. There are affordable treatments to prevent pneumonia with effective vaccines against different types of pneumonia. But pneumonia can be life-threatening in infants, the elderly (above 65 years), and those with compromised immune systems.
Prevention and Treatment of Pneumonia
Despite being preventable and treatable, pneumonia is the leading cause of death in children under five years of age. Although the antibiotic amoxicillin dispersible tablets are used to treat pneumonia, most cases of pneumonia require oral suspension of antibiotics. The antibiotic cotrimoxazole is given daily to children infected with HIV to reduce the risk of contracting pneumonia. Severe cases of pneumonia require hospitalization and effective treatment for the disease with antibiotics and oxygen (if required) helps improve prognosis and speedy recovery².
Risk factors:
A healthy child can fight pneumonia through their own natural defence system, while children with less immunity or compromised immunity are at higher risk. An immune system of a child may be weakened by malnutrition or undernourishment. If a child has pre-existing illnesses like HIV infections and measles, then they have the highest risk of contracting pneumonia³.
The following environmental factors can also contribute to increasing a child’s susceptibility to pneumonia:
- Indoor air pollution: caused by heating with biomass and cooking
- Poor communities living in crowded homes
- Parental smoking
- No proper breastfeeding in the first 6 months of a child’s life
- Availability of timely immunization
- No healthcare delivery/services for children
- Malnutrition
With all the above-mentioned risk factors, pneumonia can still be prevented by providing:
- Adequate nutrition to improve natural defenses in children, right after the birth with exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life
- Proper and timely immunization against Hib, pneumococcus, measles, and whooping cough (pertussis)
- Appropriate healthcare delivery for children could significantly reduce mortality rates due to pneumonia
- Raise awareness of pneumonia and the importance of prevention and treatment of the disease.
Conclusion
World peace and security are under threat, burdened with Covid-19 and child pneumonia deaths. Under this pressure, the healthcare system is collapsing, clearly indicating a need for greater awareness of infectious diseases, a rapid diagnostic test that gives fast, accurate results, and affordable treatment with pulse oximetry, oxygen, and antibiotics.
In honour of World Pneumonia Day, let us spread awareness to follow infection prevention measures (social distancing, wearing a mask, and handwashing) to control the massive spread of the pandemic and contribute to reducing the respiratory infections, reduce vulnerability which can cause deaths among adults and children. Improved diagnosis, treatment, and adopting infection prevention measures can save lives!
