Voice of America
12 Nov 2019, 11:35 GMT+10
LONDON - Pneumonia killed more than 800,000 babies and young children last year - or one child every 39 seconds - despite being curable and mostly preventable, global health agencies said Tuesday.
In a report on what they described as a "forgotten epidemic," the United Nations children's fund UNICEF, the international charity Save The Children and four other health agencies urged governments to step up investment in vaccines to prevent the disease and in health services and medicines to treat it.
"The fact that this preventable, treatable and easily diagnosed disease is still the world's biggest killer of young children is frankly shocking," said Seth Berkley, chief executive of the GAVI vaccines alliance.
Pneumonia is a lung disease that can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. Its victims have to fight for breath as their lungs fill with pus and fluid.
It can be prevented with vaccines, and treated with antibiotics and - in severe cases - with oxygen, but in poorer countries, access to these is often limited.
Nigeria, India, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia accounted for more than half the children who died of pneumonia last year - most of them babies who had not reached their second birthday.
"Millions of children are dying for want of vaccines, affordable antibiotics and routine oxygen treatment," said Kevin Watkins, chief executive of Save the Children. "This is a forgotten global epidemic that demands an urgent international response."
The report said pneumonia causes 15% of deaths in children younger than 5, but accounts for only 3% of spending on research into infectious diseases, lagging far behind other diseases such as malaria.
Get a daily dose of Austin Globe news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Austin Globe.
More InformationFRANKLIN, Tennessee: Hundreds of thousands of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles are being recalled across the United States due to a potential...
REDMOND, Washington: Microsoft is the latest tech giant to announce significant job cuts, as the financial strain of building next-generation...
LONDON UK - U.S. stock markets were closed on Friday for Independence Day. Global Forex Markets Wrap Up Friday with Greeback Comeback...
SANTA CLARA, California: Nvidia came within a whisker of making financial history on July 3, briefly surpassing Apple's all-time market...
SACRAMENTO, California: California's multibillion-dollar farms are facing a growing crisis—not from drought or pests, but from a sudden...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump says the United States could soon reach a trade deal with India. He believes this deal would...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: In a significant ruling last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for users...
Around two dozen girls remain missing after a deadly flash flood swept through a local Christian camp Deadly flash flooding in the...
(Photo credit: Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News / USA TODAY NETWORK) Four-star wide receiver Kaydon Finley has committed to Notre...
(Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images) Former NFL linebacker Bryan Braman is 'in the fight of his life,' battling a rare and aggressive...
(Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images) Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who has been suffering from an undisclosed medical condition,...
(Photo credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images) Dan Wilson and Ken Griffey Jr. were teammates when the latter hit a franchise-record...