World Pneumonia Day is observed on November 12 to promote the need to stand and fight against pneumonia. Pneumonia is a preventable and treatable disease. It sickens 155 million children under the age of 5 and kills 1.6 million each year. World Pneumonia Day helps to bring this health crisis to the public’s attention and encourages policymakers to roll out policies to combat the disease. World Pneumonia Day 2020 comes at a time of COVID-19 pandemic which is posing a threat to human lives globally. It has also increased the number of pneumonia this year. Ahead of the observance, we bring to you World Pneumonia Day date, significance, history and events held to spread awareness of the disease. ‘Unknown Pneumonia’ in Kazakhstan Is Deadlier Than Coronavirus, Warns Chinese Embassy, Here’s What Is Known So Far.

Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of deaths in children under five years of age. Those living in poor communities are at the highest risk of this disease. Every child, deserves access to lifesaving vaccines and medicines. In 2009, more than 100 organisations joined forces as the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia to hold the first World Pneumonia Day on November 2, 2009. Why Pneumonia Strikes Older Adults? Here's What Makes the Lung Disease Dangerous For Old People.

COVID-19 could add 1.9 million to the death toll this year and could thus increase ‘all-cause’ pneumonia deaths by more than 75%. Due to the pandemic, disruptions to healthcare services are estimated to cause up to an additional 2.3 million child deaths – 35% from pneumonia and newborn sepsis. Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Pneumonia, Deadly-But-Preventable Lung Disease.

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that 192 United Nations member states and 23 international organisations agreed to achieve by 2015. The fourth of these goals is to reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate. As pneumonia causes such a large number of under-five deaths (almost 20%), in order to achieve MDG 4, the world must do something crucial to reduce deaths caused by the disease.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 11, 2020 06:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).