Yesterday was the world pneumonia day with the theme: “every breath counts: stop pneumonia in its track”. World Pneumonia Day aims to raise awareness and enlighten the public about pneumonia’s threat to children and to promote interventions to protect and prevent the disease. Pneumonia is one of the leading killer of young children under five years globally .
Pneumonia is an infection and inflammation of the lung tissue caused by many agents which include bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa.
It is one of the leading causes of death in children, elderly, immunology-compromised and those with chronic medical conditions. In 2021 Pneumonia claimed the lives of over two point two million people worldwide.
Risk factors for Pneumonia include: smoking, alcoholism, air pollution, malnutrition, drug abuse, chronic medical conditions.
Patients with pneumonia will have symptoms like cough, chest pain, difficulty in breathing, fever, confusion, abdominal pain and other non specific symptoms.
Early diagnosis, detection and treatment remains key to reducing deaths and serious disability caused by pneumonia.
Pneumococcal vaccine which has been integrated into the national immunization programme for children has helped to reduce risk of severe pneumonia and deaths caused by the disease. Also vaccines have also been made available for the elderly ones, those with chronic medical diseases so as to reduce the risk of death and severe disease in these individuals.
There is therefore the need for great awareness of what pneumonia is and what it is not, mode of presentation, and the need to present such cases early to the hospital for prompt treatment. This will then ensure great reduction in deaths and disability caused by pneumonia,
Remember that every breath counts in our everyday lives, hence the need to promote lung Health. All hands must be on deck in this course to make every of our breath to count.
DR CHINYELU UFOAROH
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