The country has today joined the rest of the world in marking World Pneumonia Day, a day devoted to drawing awareness to the disease which is a lung-based infection caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
The event honors an early diagnosis of the illness in order to take appropriate preventative measures to avoid it.
While marking the globally imperative day under the theme “Pneumonia can be prevented, Awareness saves lives”, it was observed that pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death in children under five years in the country.
Cumulatively 8.7 million pneumonia deaths were averted globally between 2001 and 2015 due to concerted efforts towards controlling pneumonia through protection, prevention and treatment intervention (UNICEF, 2016).
Health experts have mentioned; cough, fast breathing, fever, chest in drawing, Wheezing, Unconsciousness, hypothermia and convulsions as some of the signs and symptoms of the respiratory infection.
According to a health advisor at Division of Neonatal and Child Health Dr. Caro Mwangi, it’s important that children receive all the doses of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV 10) before the age of one year at 6, 10 and 14 weeks.
Pneumococcal vaccine protects against severe forms of Pneumococcal disease such as meningitis, pneumonia and bacteremia.
Dr. Mwangi also stated that addressing environmental factors such as indoor air pollution by use of affordable clean cook stoves, avoiding smoking and ensuring adequate indoor ventilation is a means to prevent pneumonia.
Sentiments echoed by Country Director – Kenya and Madagascar at Save the Children International Yvonne Achieng Arunga highlighted that correct diagnosis and new pneumonia guidelines recommend treatment using Amoxicillin Dispersible tablets.
It has been established that the majority of the population severely exposed to pneumonia reside in a collection of low- and middle-income nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
“Our efforts to mobilise communities to educate and empower families, and strengthen health systems to prevent, diagnosis and treat pneumonia, will make a big difference to a disease that is both preventable and treatable,” said Health County Director Dr. Gordon Okumu Homabay.
According to Dr. Andrew Mulwa, Director Medical, Preventive and Promote Health Services in Kenya, pneumonia accounts for 15 per cent of all child deaths, and was the second largest killer of children under-five in the country in 2017.
Pneumonia killed almost 9000 children below five years in 2018, approximately more than one child every hour.
“If we don’t accelerate our efforts to tackle childhood pneumonia, nearly 9million children will die unnecessarily from the disease between 2020 and 2030,” Dr. Mulwa noted.
In 2020, Kenya signed the declaration of End Pneumonia deaths in children under 5 yrs.
