Pneumonia is an infection that causes the air sacs in the lungs to become filled with fluid or pus. When this occurs, oxygen levels are reduced and breathing becomes very difficult. Each year, this infectious disease claims the lives of 2.5 million people throughout the world. This number includes 672,000 children. Pneumonia is the leading cause of death for children under the age of 5. One of the leading risk factors for pneumonia is air pollution. Nearly one-third of all pneumonia deaths are attributed to polluted air. Deadly air pollution not only occurs outdoors but indoors as well.
Infants, children, and seniors over the age of 65 are at the greatest risk of dying from pneumonia. Children are more susceptible to getting pneumonia from indoor air pollution. Many developing countries cook with wood, charcoal, dung, and coal on open fires. All of these things cause indoor air pollution. Other things that pollute indoor air include tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, asbestos, paint, mold, dust, and synthetic fragrances. Causes for outdoor air pollution include exhaust from vehicles and pollutants emitted by industries.
In 2017, more than half of all childhood deaths from pneumonia occurred in these five countries:
- India
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- The Democratic Republic of Congo
- Ethiopia
Both children and the elderly often require hospitalization when they get pneumonia. This is one reason that so many people in poorer countries die from pneumonia. These countries all have poor health care and those that live there cannot afford treatment for pneumonia. Despite the fact that pneumonia claims the life of a child every 50 seconds, it remains a neglected disease.
A coalition of global health leaders launched the first World Pneumonia Day in 2009.
World Pneumonia Day 2022: Theme
This year 2022, World Pneumonia Day theme is based on the Worldwide Pneumonia Awareness Campaign – “Pneumolight 2022”, with a theme and slogan “Pneumonia Affects Everyone”, with an aim to amplify the effect of awareness campaigns by illuminating monuments worldwide. This year 2022, with the support of 42 countries 228 monuments will be illuminated to mark the World Pneumonia Day, with an intention to raise visibility of World Pneumonia Day, 2022 globally.
Source: https://stoppneumonia.org
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