A medical consultant at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) named Dr. Oluwafemi Ojo has stressed the relevance of World Pneumonia Day (WPD) in increasing awareness of the prevalence of the disease and the factors that contribute to its emergence. With the theme “Championing the Fight Against Pneumonia,” this year’s World Pneumonia Day (WPD) aims to raise awareness among the public about the dangers of pneumonia and to encourage politicians to implement preventive measures to minimize the disease’s spread.
This is also a wake up call for all stakeholders and practitioners in the health sector to be proactive in the course of mitigating the impact of pneumonia at the local and international levels. While pneumonia continues to remain a deadly disease claiming the lives of numerous people worldwide, especially children, policymakers and other major agencies in the sectors need to prioritize seeking an efficacious approach to curb the menace and prevent further spreading across nations.
Pneumonia kills more children than any other infectious disease.
Thus, there is a need for advocacy strategies to draw attention to the need to execute health alleviation policies in the course of mitigating the impact of the disease. A report by the World Health Organization shows that Pneumonia kills more children than any other infectious disease, claiming the lives of over 700,000 children under five every year, or around 2,000 every day. In 2019, pneumonia killed 740,180 children under the age of 5, accounting for 22% of all deaths in children aged 1 to 5 years.
In 2021, UNICEF revealed that Nigeria has the highest number of overall air pollution-related pneumonia deaths of children under-five in the world and the highest number of household air pollution-related pneumonia deaths among children under five. Approximately 185 children under the age of five die every day from pneumonia due to air pollution in Nigeria. The majority of them are from air pollution in the household, including that from cooking over open fires or cookstoves in the home.
Access to equipped facilities is imperative to achieve universal coverage.
There is a need for improved hygiene and environmental sanitation, as well as Improved immunization, especially among under-aged children in rural and urban areas across the county. Again people should avoid cooking with domestic gas and electricity, among others, to reduce exposure to indoor air pollution, as these trigger pneumonia. Access to quality-equipped healthcare facilities is also imperative to achieve universal healthcare coverage. Improved access to comprehensive health insurance is also needed to reduce out-of-pocket payments among Nigerians.
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs caused by different germs such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. A proper and frequent checkup is important for every Nigerian, at least two times a year, in order to help induce early diagnosis and treatment. Pneumonia infection shows symptoms such as fever, chills, chest pain, coughing up phlegm, which can be blood-stained or bloody, difficulty in breathing, and weakness. Anyone experiencing these signs should visit the nearest hospital.
The infection can be prevented by maintaining proper hygiene.
While pneumonia is a dire disease, it can also be prevented by maintaining a hygienic environment. Our hands should always be clean after going to the toilet, before eating and consistently. Healthcare providers should clean their hands before and after having contact with a patient. However, the treatment of pneumonia depends on its underlying causes. For instance, antibiotics could be used if the underlying cause is bacteria. Other supportive treatments may include fluids, analgesics, and oxygen, among others. Children’s pneumonia treatment also depends on the type and severity.
Related Link
WHO: Website
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Early diagnosis of pneumonia is vital – Proper and frequent checkup is important for early diagnosis, treatment. – Express your point of view.
Pneumonia should be detected very early. It is so important so that it can quickly be detected and treated easily. Unless it can already be so late when not quickly treated and detected early.
Proper and frequent checkup is important for early diagnosis, treatment. Very important for check up whenever we notice any abnormal reaction of the body, for safety reasons
Early diagnosis of pneumonia I’d important for detection and proper commencement of treatment and more awareness I’d needdled because it can be prevented by good hygiene.
The significance of World Pneumonia Day, which aims to raise awareness of the prevalence of pneumonia as well as the factors that contribute to the disease’s development, in this regard.
The purpose of World Pneumonia Day (WPD) is to educate the general public about the risks associated with pneumonia and to persuade political leaders to take preventative actions that will limit the disease’s transmission.
This should serve as a wake-up call to health sector stakeholders and practitioners worldwide to take preventative measures to lessen pneumonia’s global and regional impact.
In particular, there is a need for enhanced immunization, as well as improved hygiene and environmental sanitation, among children under the age of five who live in both rural and urban regions throughout the country.
Access to healthcare facilities that are of high quality and well-equipped is also an essential component of achieving universal healthcare coverage.
It is important for those who work in healthcare to wash their hands both before and after coming into contact with patients. But the best way to treat pneumonia depends on finding out what caused it in the first place.
Pneumonia should be recognized early. It’s crucial for early detection and treatment. If not treated and diagnosed early, it can be too late.
The significance of World Pneumonia Day in this regard, which attempts to educate people about pneumonia and its causes.
Pneumonia detection early It’s crucial for discovery and treatment, and more awareness is needed because excellent hygiene can prevent it.
If pneumonia is detect early it will be easily to treat, frequent and proper checkup really help it will show and detect anything that is harmful to the health and it will be treating on the early stage not until it is worse
This should function as a warning to everyone involved in the health sector and medical professionals everywhere to take precautions to limit the effects of pneumonia on the world and regional levels.
Pneumonia is one of the disease affected lots of people in Nigeria and without knowing because there is no much enlightenment and sensitisation concerning the disease and to curb it requires lots of enlightenment and sensitisation on how to prevent and treat .
It is so important so that it can quickly be detected and treated easily. Unless it can already be so late when not quickly treated and detected early.
Many died because they are not conscious of their body system and are not willing to go for medical checkup. Thanks to the medical consultant for the pneumonia day to create awareness about it and also to encourage people to always check their health status.
Generally, it is good to go for medical checkup, Pneumonia is a very deadly and sensitive disease that if not we’ll attended to, the victim might lose his/her life. More awareness is needed to educate the masses.
Policymakers and other important agencies in the sectors need to give finding an effective solution to the problem top priority because pneumonia is still a fatal disease that kills many people worldwide, particularly children. This will stop the disease from spreading further across countries.
This serves as a reminder to all parties involved including professionals working in the health field to take proactive steps to lessen the effects of pneumonia both locally and globally.