World Pneumonia Day is on November 12 and, like every year, it is dedicated to spread awareness among people to understand the need to stand together and demand action in the fight against this disease. Pneumonia is the world’s biggest infectious killer of children and adults. On average, it alone kills more children than the combined mortality rate caused by AIDS, measles, and malaria. It is the lack of oxygen in the lungs that makes us realize how important oxygen is to our bodies — and makes lung health a priority world-wide. This World Pneumonia Day, we look forward to coming together to understand how crucial oxygen is for us and what can be done in our fight against pneumonia. Since respiratory ailments are quite prominent right now, this makes World Pneumonia Day even more relevant.
History of World Pneumonia Day
The Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia observed the first World Pneumonia Day in 2009. Their aim was to bring the facts of the severity of pneumonia to public knowledge and to join hands to bring global attention to the neglected condition of pneumonia. The Day was observed with the general motto “Healthy Lungs for All”, and this has been maintained since the first World Pneumonia Day in 2009. Additions to the motto themed around running campaigns included to provide enough protection against the disease and to make treatment centers accessible to the people suffering from the disease.
The year in which the first World Pneumonia Day was observed, it was killing approximately 1.2 million children each year. Within four years of observing this day at an international and global scale, in 2013, WHO and UNICEF launched an Integrated Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhea. In the next four years in efforts to establish as much control over Pneumonia and Diarrhea, the first public-private partnership to support governments achieve the Global Action Plan for Pneumonia and Diarrhea (G.A.P.P.D.) was made under the name “Every Breath Counts”.
Other than this, several other initiatives have also been taken at various levels to counter the attacks made by pneumonia, which still acts as the major infectious killer of children and adults.
World Pneumonia Day timeline
Pneumonia surfaces as the leading cause of death due to infectious disease, and overall the third leading reason for deaths.
The first treatment of Pneumonia is introduced, which reduces the mortality rate from 25% to 7.5%.
The first antibacterial agent by the name sulfapyridine is invented, and it is used to treat the bacterial pneumonia contracted by Winston Churchill.
Although the vaccine could only prevent a few causes of the disease, it paves the way for the introduction of the second vaccination in the year 2000 which prevents most types of the disease.
World Pneumonia Day FAQs
Why is World Pneumonia Day on 12 November?
World Pneumonia Day, marked every year on 12 November, was raised to advocate for global action to protect against, help prevent and effectively treat this deadly illness.
Where does the pneumonia diagnostics project take place?
The Pneumonia Diagnostics Project is working to identify the most accurate and acceptable devices for use by frontline health workers in remote places in Cambodia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Uganda.
Where does the most pneumonia occur in the world?
Many countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America battle pneumonia.
How to celebrate World Pneumonia Day
Talk about pneumonia
Put a pearl ribbon on your shirt and explain the meaning of this ribbon to those who ask. Talk about this disease in your circle, you never know there might be someone in need of help which you may provide to them. Talk about this disease in your circle, because there might be someone in need of help that you could provide to them.
Participate In awareness campaigns
Join your local health bodies or medical organizations and participate in their campaigns to spread awareness about the effect of this disease and how more effort needs to be made to prevent it.
Help those who have pneumonia
Be an anonymous donor to a pneumonia patient. Spend some money as a donation and give it to your local clinic or hospital where there are patients with the disease. Encourage others to do the same. Help save a life.
Five Facts About Pneumonia Everyone Should Know.
There is not just one cause of pneumonia
Scientists and doctors have said that pneumonia can be caused by bacteria or fungi, or both simultaneously — it can be caused by simply breathing in the food we eat, or inhaling dust, or any smallest toxin in the air, which can cause disease in the human body.
Breastfeeding helps in fighting against it
Doctors have said that children who regularly fed on mother’s milk had greater immunity, and so even if they contracted Pneumonia had a greater chance of fighting the disease and recovering from it.
In 2017, 15% of children died of pneumonia
Around 808,694 children died because of the disease, and this accounts for 15% of all the deaths in children under five years of age.
Pneumonia has more than 30 different causes.
Pneumonia can be caused by fungi or bacteria, or possibly both but, for the treatment to be effective, diagnosing the cause is critical.
Lung health seriously compromised
Recently there has been a 75% rise in the overall number of pneumonia cases globally.
Why Do We Need To Observe World Pneumonia Day?
Pneumonia is extremely dangerous
Pneumonia starts off as a mild flu, but it can quickly develop itself into a life-threatening disease, and still, there are only a few genuine treatment options that are available for pneumonia. It will only be through our combined efforts that international health bodies will take this matter seriously and stop neglecting this disease.
People unaware about the treatment of pneumonia
Many people are ignorant about the seriousness of treating Pneumonia in the early stages of the disease. As mentioned above, knowing what caused the disease in the first place is as crucial as the treatment itself. There are different combinations of antibiotics available for the treatment, and different vaccinations too for prevention, but they need to be made accessible to the average man.
Preserving our future generations
Our future exists in our upcoming generations. We need to make the effort, if not for us, then for our children, so that they grow up healthy and free from this disease. Our efforts today will pave the way for advancements in the treatment options for this disease in the future.
World Pneumonia Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | November 12 | Tuesday |
| 2025 | November 12 | Wednesday |
| 2026 | November 12 | Thursday |
| 2027 | November 12 | Friday |
| 2028 | November 12 | Sunday |
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