•Pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of death among children under five years worldwide
•Of greater concern is that pneumonia remains a leading infectious cause of death in children under five yet can be tackled by simple solutions
Kenya is on track in reducing pneumonia deaths among children aged below five years but more needs to be done, acting Health DG Patrick Amoth has said.
Speaking during the World Pneumonia Day breakfast meeting in Nairobi, Amoth urged stakeholders to renew their commitment to safeguard the health of children.
This comes even as the country gears up towards joining the rest of the world in commemorating World Pneumonia Day on November 12.
Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that affects the lungs and is the leading cause of death among children under five years worldwide.
It claims the lives of 700,000 children under five every year, or around 2,000 daily.
In Kenya, pneumonia causes between 8,000 to 10,000 annual childhood deaths, representing about one in five of all child deaths.
Of greater concern is that pneumonia remains a leading infectious cause of death in children under five yet it can be tackled by simple solutions.
They include breastfeeding, immunisation, observing hand hygiene, preventing air pollution and educating mothers on the danger signs to look for and the need to seek treatment on time.
Globally, data shows that pneumonia killed 2.5 million people globally in 2019 alone, almost a third (700,000) of all victims being children younger than five years.
Amoth says should the country succeed in reducing pneumonia deaths, it shall increase the chances of meeting the global target of reducing under five mortality to less than 25 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030, from the current 41 deaths per 1,000 live births.
“From the statistics you can clearly see that as a global community we have a problem; that one particular condition can account for more than 2.5 million deaths,” he said.
“Behind the statistics, there are stories of innocence lost, dreams unfulfilled, and futures cut short. We must not allow these tragedies to persist.”
Pneumonia deaths are falling but more slowly than other major causes of child mortality.
Amoth said reducing air pollution by using clean cooking fuels can reduce pneumonia incidence by up to 75 per cent where it is a major risk factor.
This, he said, requires a multi-sectoral approach from several key stakeholders, adding that use of cleaner cooking and industrial fuels, renewable energy like wind, solar energy, and proper waste disposal will go a long way in reducing both indoor and outdoor pollution.
“The ministry is supporting the scale up of use of Amoxycillin DT for management of non-severe pneumonia through development of appropriate clinical guidelines for childhood illnesses,” Amoth said.
He noted that support has also been provided to counties through training of healthcare workers on detection of hypoxaemia using pulse oximeters and effective use of oxygen for management of severe pneumonia.
Experts project that taking action against pneumonia would save 3.2 million children between 2020 and 2030.
This should include protection, prevention and treatment with the said effective low cost interventions.