Climate change, unplanned urbanization and air pollution can fail us in beating NCDs

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service) 

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mostly cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, and lung diseases, account for over two-thirds of world's deaths each year. "Of these, the lung diseases are the least recognized" said Dr Dean Schraufnagel, Executive Director, Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), who was among the key experts at the 2nd Global NCD Alliance Forum in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

[Podcast] Scientific highlights of 48th Union World Conference on Lung Health

[Webinar] Scientific highlights of 48th Union World Conference on Lung Health

[Podcast] World Lung Day: Lung health is vital for sustainable development

[Webinar] First-ever World Lung Day on 25 September 2017

Dr Paula I Fujiwara, Scientific Director, The Union on World Lung Day 2017

Presentation of Dr Paula I Fujiwara of The Union in 2017 World Lung Day Webinar by bobbyramakant on Scribd

Dr Dean E Schraufnagel, Director, FIRS on 2017 World Lung Day

Presentation of Dr Dean E Schraufnagel, Director, FIRS in 2017 World Lung Day Webinar by bobbyramakant on Scribd

Reducing childhood pneumonia deaths in India: Work in progress

Dr Nachiket Sule, CNS Correspondent, India

During the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) period, the global under 5 mortality rate declined by more than half— from 90 deaths per 1000 live births in 1990 to 43 deaths per 1000 live births in 2015. India had an estimated 609,000 deaths among children under the age of 5 due to pneumonia and diarrhea in 2010, the highest amongst all the countries in the world.

Childhood pneumonia

Aarti Dhar, CNS Correspondent, India
(First published in TheIndiasaga.com)
According to the Global Coalition Against Childhood Pneumonia (GCACP), pneumonia is the most deadly infectious illness for children under 5 years of  age worldwide. Even as 2000 to 2015, the annual death toll from childhood pneumonia decreased from 1.7 million deaths in 2000 to 920,000 in 2015, approximately 2,500 children still die from pneumonia every day. This amounts to 16% of all child deaths.

Let no child die of pneumonia

Clarity Sibanda, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe

The Global Coalition Against Childhood Pneumonia (GCACP) says pneumonia is the most deadly infectious disease for children under the age of 5 worldwide and although statistics from 2000 to 2015 reveal that the annual death toll from childhood pneumonia decreased from 1.7 million deaths annually to 920,000 in 2015. 2,500 children still die from pneumonia every day. This amounts to 16% of all child deaths.

Fighting pneumonia, the number one killer of children

Francis Okoye, CNS Correspondent, Nigeria
[First published in nigeriapoliticsmagazine.com ]
Medical and media experts gathered recently in a webinar hosted by Citizen News Service to deliberate on how to address the world’s deadliest childhood infection: pneumonia. According to the Global coalition against childhood pneumonia (GCACP), pneumonia is the most deadly infectious illness for children under age 5 worldwide. Even though from 2000 to 2015,the annual death toll from childhood pneumonia decreased from 1.7 million deaths annually to 920,000 in 2015, approximately 2,5000 children still die from pneumonia every day.

Stronger health systems necessary to address pneumonia- a major killer of children under 5

Citizen News Service - CNS

Despite being preventable and treatable, it is unacceptable that Pneumonia continues to be a leading infectious killer for children under five years globally. Dr Ajay Mishra, Senior Director and Head of Paediatrics, Nelson Hospital in Lucknow, said in a webinar (recording, podcast) that "while pneumonia in children is preventable and treatable, it still remains the number one killer of children below the age of 5 years, killing 760,000 children aged 1-59 months in 2015.

[Podcast] Ending preventable #Pneumonia deaths by 2030

[Click here to listen or download this audio recording/ podcast] This is a audio recording of a webinar [watch recording] on world's leading infectious killer of children under the age of five years: Pneumonia. Click here to listen or download this audio recording/ podcast.

[Webinar] Ending preventable #Pneumonia deaths by 2030

[Call to register] Webinar for media on world's leading infectious killer of children < 5: Pneumonia

[Watch recording] [Listen or download podcast]
World's leading infectious killer of children under the age of five years, is Pneumonia. Pneumonia, a common respiratory illness, also has potentially serious outcomes for the elderly. According to Stop Pneumonia, the most vulnerable children are in poor and rural communities, underlining the need to improve equitable access to high quality care, diagnostics, and treatment for all children.

Alarming rates of pulmonary diseases warrant urgent action

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)
Alarming rates of pulmonary diseases in India are warranting urgent action as well as well-coordinated and inter-sectoral comprehensive health responses across the country to ensure every citizen enjoys lung health.

Minimize air hunger and lead a quality life

Dr Amitava Acharyya, CNS Correspondent, India
The recent decades have seen a sharp increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases, including asthma and allergic rhinitis. Both are common long term diseases that affect the quality of life of patients. It is estimated that 350 million people worldwide suffer from asthma and this figure is projected to add more 100 million of people by year 2025.

To breathe is to live : Call for action to tackle pneumonia

Dr Richa Sharma, CNS Correspondent, India
A walk in a clinic in an urban slum or rural setting is invariably associated with one coming across a parent sitting with their child helping them to breathe through the mouthpiece of a nebulizer machine. Such is the presence of pneumonia cases in developing countries and resource constraint settings.

Pneumonia: An outcome of preventable mistakes

Dr Amitava Acharyya, CNS Correspondent, India 

Photo credit: CNS

“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history”--Aldous Huxley
During the early 1900s, pneumonia was the third leading cause of death. Still now it is in endemic condition among under 5 years old children (responsible for 15% of all deaths in children < 5 years old) and geriatric population. The preventive and curative aspects of pneumonia are well established. But, the failure of implementation of proper health care structure, inadequate health promotion and health education among the masses and inadequate supply of anti-biotics remain the causes of this preventable burden.

Pneumonia: What do we know?

Photo credit: CNS

Alice Tembe, CNS Special Correspondent, Swaziland
Pneumonia has been noted as one of the most deadly infectious illness for children worldwide, with an estimated 900,000 children dying of pneumonia this year. Dr Amita Pandey, a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at K G Medical University, India, presented statistical data showing the incidence of pneumonia in children under five to be approximately 156 million new episodes each year and WHO estimates that death due to pneumonia occurs in 1 in 3 cases. The Director of Policy, Advocacy and Communication at IVAC, Lois Privor-Dumm further indicates that every minute, six children die from pneumonia or diarrhea. The burden of pneumonia screams for attention.