Pneumonia is an infectious illness affecting million of children around the world. World pneumonia day was created in 2009 and is celebrated each year on November 12th. Was you aware that pneumonia is the leading killer of children under the age of 5? I did not know this myself. World pneumonia day wants to help promote intervention and generate action to combat pneumonia.
Our own family has been touched with childhood pneumonia. Many of our own children have asthma. My siblings had pneumonia when they were younger but it was so much different when our first child was diagnosed. It was 25 years ago that our daughter was 6 weeks old and diagnosed with double lung pneumonia. Scared as we were we learned to listen, cuddle and follow the dr and his direction. We spent a week in the hospital that time. There were several other hospital visits and battles with pneumonia that would follow. Currently our grand-son has a touch of pneumonia and we are praying and caring for him. We trust the dr. and medication and believe he will be up and feeling well again soon.
While antibiotics and vaccines are important when battling pneumonia the war on pneumonia is so much more. The goal is to prevent, diagnose and treat. Most important is areas where resources are low and too many children are dying due to delays in care, diagnosis and treatment. Innovations that help reduce children's exposure to toxic smoke from indoor cooking fumes and increase the proportion of babies fed with breastmilk. Diagnostic tools that any health worker can easily use accurately to id a child at risk of pneumonia is very important. Tools should enable rapid diagnosis of oxygen deprivation and trigger faster access to oxygen therapy. Family friendly formulation of antibiotics that are easy for parents to give and the child can easily take.
Innovators are currently working on respiratory rate timers that automatically count breaths, pulse oximeters that operate on cellphones, oxygen therapy delivered via a shampoo bottle, antibiotics that can be squeezed out of a tube and eaten like baby food, solar powered cooking technology, and human milk banks where even the sickest newborns can get the protection of breast milk from donors.
Find out more information on the World Pneumonia Day Facebook page here
I had pneumonia once and I thought for sure I was going to die. It was the sickest I have ever been in my entire life.
ReplyDeletehad it last winter myself, definitely not something that I enjoyed or want again
Deletethanks for commenting
I have never had pneumonia but it is an awful illness and has killed many people thank you for raising awareness
ReplyDeletethank you for commenting part of raising awareness is getting the conversation rolling
Deleteits always good to raise awareness about pneumonia
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is something that is very common an at times very deadly
Deletethanks for commenting
This disease can kill. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteyou are exactly right, it can and that's why it is so important to share and bring awareness
Deletethanks for leaving comment
My children have (thankfully!) never had pneumonia. Great post to raise awareness!
ReplyDeleteFor Heidi G.
ReplyDeleteI had pneumonia a few times when I was growing up due to asthma issues and it was not fun. It's always a fear of mine when I start feeling sick.
We should all do our part to help raise awareness on Pneumonia. It's important because it also affects the future of our kids.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great cause! It is important to raise awareness for these causes :)
ReplyDeleteit is super important - i had pneumonia a couple of times as a child and I remember it as horrid! I have severe asthma and I have to get a vaccine every couple of years .
ReplyDeleteI am thankful we have never had to experience pneumonia. I know people who have and it is not good.
ReplyDeletePneumonia is serious, I don't think everyone realizes that. Good post!
ReplyDeletePneumonia is serious, I hope more people realize this someday.
ReplyDeletePneumonia indeed poses a serious threat. This is a helpful information.
ReplyDeleteThanks for raising awareness on this as I didn't even realise that there was such a day.
ReplyDeleteHow scary to have our little one deal with this! It's also a big problem among the elderly. I was clueless to the indoor toxic fumes from cooking?! Oh no! What is the tool you mentioned that helps with that?
ReplyDeletePneumonia is a serious disease. My mom had this and she got really weak.She probably got it from the toxic fumes.
ReplyDeleteIt's so,so dangerous. I'm very glad there is continued work to improve treatment and care.
ReplyDeleteThis disease is very serious. I heard so many elderly died from Pneumonia
ReplyDeleteI have had pneumonia and it was the worst! It's great that you're spreading awareness about this disease
ReplyDeleteThanks for making me aware of World Pneumonia Day. Pneumonia is one of those things I don't think of at all really. I've never had it and don't think I know anyone who has. I had no idea it was the leading killer of children under 5. That's terrible.
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