Figure of deaths from pneumonia in children is alarming

The figure of deaths of children from pneumonia in Bangladesh is alarming. According to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) this cold-related disease kills 24,000 children every year.

This accounts for 24 per cent of all under-five deaths in the country, surpassing the global average.

This means 2-3 children are found to be dying from pneumonia every hour. Winter is approaching, and hospitals and health centres are found to be crowded with children with cold related diseases including pneumonia.

However, the large figure of deaths from pneumonia is primarily due to lack of awareness among the parents that the disease can turn lethal if timely treatment to patients is not given.

The study of icddr,b finds that 40 per cent of children do not receive essential treatment as their parents do not seek medical care when their children exhibit pneumonia symptoms.

As a disease, pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs primarily leading to coughing, which generally gets better within 2-4 weeks but can escalate to respiratory distress or even death if left untreated.

The icddr,b research findings show that the causes of pneumonia in children in Bangladesh differ from the global scenario.

A high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria is the leading cause of pneumonia in children.

In this winter, air pollution is getting severer with Dhaka standing as the second worst city in the world in this regard Thursday.

Therefore, parents must take care of their children when they are outside. According to experts, improvement in the air quality within homes could halve pneumonia mortality risks, while hand washing could reduce cases by around 21 per cent.

There is no alternative to parents’ awareness for the protection of their children’s health. In the programme titled “Childhood Pneumonia: Are We Doing Enough?” at the icddr,b on Thursday it was pertinently pointed out that vaccination and adequate breast-feeding until six months of age, followed by complementary feeding can reduce deaths from pneumonia. Still, the young, the elderly, and individuals with existing heart or lung conditions should be especially careful as they are prone to severe pneumonia.

Since poor people rush to government hospitals and health centres for treatment, the relevant authorities are well advised to step up efforts to treat cold related diseases in children.