Reducing child deaths from pneumonia

Melanie Lofgren
11/5/09
7:56 p.m.


On November 2, 2009, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s fund released an action plan, the Global action for the prevention and control of pneumonia (GAPP), in order to prevent children from contracting this disease. Each year, pneumonia kills 1.8 million children under the age of five. More than 98% of these child deaths occur in developing countries. This plan consists of suggestions on where to go from here, specific goals and targets, and financial obligations. The plan also contains a vision split into three parts: to protect children from pneumonia by maintaining a healthy environment and rearing, preventing the contraction of this disease with vaccinations to other diseases that can lead to pneumonia, and treating those who do have the disease with adequate care. The goal of this plan is to save up to 5.3 million children by 2015. The cost of implementing this plan in 68 countries is about 39 billion for 2010-2015. While in a single year, 2010, it may cost 3.8 billion dollars, this number is thought to double to 8.0 million in 2015.

Many of my previous articles concern the welfare of young children in developing countries. Children overseas are struggling with diseases that fortunate children in western society are vaccinated against during infancy or early childhood. Once children in these developing countries contract these diseases, it is hard to rid them due to poor health care. While this plan is a good start to helping children in developing countries, I cannot help but wonder where all the money is going to come from. Donor countries have already cut back their pay to these developing countries due to hard economic times. At least plans are in action.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2009/child_pneumonia_gapp_20091102/en/index.html