Hyderabad: Four lakh deaths occur due to pneumonia and diarrhoea globally in children below five years of age according to a report released by the World Health Organisation and Unicef.
A high burden of this mortality is shared by India where it is recorded at 14.9 per cent due to pneumonia and 9.8 per cent due to diarrhoea. Experts state that mortality due to pneumonia is approximately one-fourth of the total deaths in children below five years of age.
Dr S.S. Krishna, senior paediatrician, said these were preventable deaths and needed to be tackled at the hospital level. “Pneumonia in children. should be rapidly and accurately detected. The co-morbid conditions which develop due to the disease require to be managed effectively at the hospital level,” he said.
Severe pneumonia is categorised as cough or difficult breathing or signs of nasal flaring, inability to eat, lethargy, unconsciousness and continuous head nodding. While antibiotics are available for pneumonia only 25 per cent of the children receive treatment on time.
Dr Suresh Kumar, senior paediatrician said, “Immunisation against Hib, pneumococcus, measles and whopping cough is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia. Parents need to be counselled on hygiene and preventive measures. Nutritious foods must be given to children to build on their immunity.”
Paediatricians said that diarrhoea and pneumonia can be prevented with simple measures but due to lack of knowledge, awareness and not bringing to the healthcare centres on time, the numbers are not reducing as expected.
