Irony: Preventable pneumonia is biggest killer of children under 5

Pneumonia can be prevented. It can be treated using first-line cheap and easily available antibiotics. Despite being preventable and curable, it continues to be the lead cause of morbidity and mortality for children below the age of five years. “Pneumonia is a serious disorder affecting children even in their very early stages of life. The tragedy is that it is preventable. So, the top priority is to prevent it and, if it develops, then to provide timely treatment,” said Professor (Dr) Gourdas Choudhuri, Head, Department of Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow. Prof Gourdas Choudhuri is a noted public health expert too. HEALTH AND TREATMENT LITERACY “Pneumonia occurs due to overcrowding in small homes with poor ventilation. The problem is further aggravated if one or both of the parents smoke. Passive smoking makes children more prone to chest and pulmonary infections. The other important aspect in preventing pneumonia is about hygiene – cleanliness and hand washing will prevent the germs from spreading. So, a general sense of hygiene should be there at all times. The other issue is of pollution – the fumes and dust in the air which children breathe. These particles will aggravate the bacteria and the virus if they are around. There is a need for a lot of awareness in mothers about their child picking up pneumonia at an early stage. Chest infections in children are bound to happen. But if a child has high or persistent coughing, a doctor should be sought so that antibiotics can be given timely. Timely access to medical care is crucial. In the early stages of the disease oral antibiotics work. But once the child becomes very sick, much more intensive care is required – like hospitalisation, stronger and more expensive injectible antibiotics among others. So, proper awareness of the disease is an important issue in increasing the survival rate of children” said Prof Choudhuri. “Pneumonia is a serious infection of the lungs and can be caused by several germs. The role of vaccines in preventing the disease cannot be overlooked.