NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

U.S. based, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health recently highlighted the Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Progress Report 2013 which showed that India continues to have the largest pneumonia and diarrhoeal disease burden in the world. It also points out that many Indian children do not have access to life-saving treatment and prevention measures.

This report was published by the International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC).

Pneumonia and diarrhoea continue to be the leading killers of children under the age of five worldwide. According to the latest estimates by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), pneumonia and diarrhoea together claimed the lives of more than 1.7 million under-five children in 2012 alone.

“Today, pneumonia and diarrhoea will kill thousands of children and tomorrow. And every day thereafter. Marking World Pneumonia Day, and with World Diarrhoea Day around the corner, we must recommit ourselves to tackling these preventable childhood diseases,” said Dr Naveen Thacker, secretary, Child Health Foundation and former president, Indian Academy of Paediatrics. “There are simple, low cost solutions, such as hand washing with soap; controlling indoor air pollution; encouraging exclusive breast feeding, oral rehydration solution and zinc supplementation; administering vaccines and increasing access to treatment that can save these children’s lives.”