Thread by @WHO

It's #WorldPneumoniaDay

#Pneumonia accounts for 14% of all deaths of children under 5 years old, killing over 740 000 per year. It's the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide 🌎🌍🌏

👉bit.ly/2X7sJWL

It's #WorldPneumoniaDay

#Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs 🫁. It can be caused by a number of infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria, or fungi.

👉 bit.ly/2X7sJWL

It's #WorldPneumoniaDay

#Pneumonia affects 👦👧 and 👨‍👨‍👧 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 everywhere, but it can be prevented with simple interventions:

💉 Immunization
🥦 Adequate nutrition
🔥 Reducing exposure to indoor air pollution
🏡 Improving housing conditions
🚭 Avoiding smoking near children

#COVID19 can lead to severe #pneumonia requiring patients to need oxygen. WHO is working with countries and partners around the 🌐 to ↗️ oxygen supply so patients have access to this life saving therapy.

👉bit.ly/30p12yJ

#WorldPneumoniaDay

#COVID19 has accelerated global demand for oxygen & made the delivery of oxygen supplies more urgent than ever. The pandemic has also highlighted global inequities in oxygen availability.

WHO helps vulnerable countries in addressing this inequality:
👉 bit.ly/3qqwA1W

It's #WorldPneumoniaDay

Medical oxygen and diagnostic tools for hypoxemia supplied to treat #COVID19 patients, can also save the lives of children and newborns suffering from severe #pneumonia and other conditions.

👉 bit.ly/2UkRAG1

It's #WorldPneumoniaDay

Reducing the number of 👦👧 getting sick & dying from #pneumonia requires achieving #HealthForAll, so that all children have access to vaccination, nutrition, & to good-quality diagnosis & treatment.

👉 bit.ly/2X7sJWL

It's #WorldPneumoniaDay

Most 👧👦 who die from #pneumonia live in poor areas, with low levels of access to good-quality 🏥 and health workers who can prevent, protect, diagnose & treat pneumonia

👉 bit.ly/2X7sJWL

It's #WorldPneumoniaDay

While vaccines 💉are a vital part of prevention for #pneumonia, they need to be combined with:

🤱breastfeeding
🥕nutritious food
🏡a clean environment

Ensuring that families have access to health services and the right medicines is also essential.

It's #WorldPneumoniaDay

#Pneumonia caused by bacteria can be treated with antibiotics, but only 1⃣ in 3⃣ children with pneumonia receive the antibiotics they need.

👉 bit.ly/2X7sJWL

It's #WorldPneumoniaDay

In #Malawi 🇲🇼treating #pneumonia at the community level is saving infant lives. Early access to healthcare is crucial in combatting this killer disease.

👉 bit.ly/30gszSM