Pneumonia: the leading killer of children.

摘要

Pneumonia kills more children than any other illness-more than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined (figure). More than 2 million children under 5 years of age die from pneumonia each year, accounting for almost one in five under-5 deaths worldwide. Yet few headlines report the effect of pneumonia on children's lives.The world's attention has understandably turned to other major public-health scourges, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. While we support these efforts, it is also important to recognise pneumonia's significant contribution to overall child mortality. Renewed efforts to improve child survival, especially within the context of the Millennium Development Goals, must ensure that pneumonia is adequately addressed.For more than a decade, we have known which interventions reduce childhood pneumonia deaths. We know that preventing children from developingpneumonia is important. Key prevention measures include immunising children (especially with Haemophilus influenzae type b [Hib], measles, and pneumococcal vaccines) and promoting adequate nutrition (including exclusive breastfeeding and zinc intake); reducing indoor air pollution might also have an effect. In symptomatic HIV-infected children, daily administration of cotrimoxazole also reduces deaths from opportunistic infections, including pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis carinii. For newborn babies, reducing the incidence of low birthweight is important, as is ensuring warmth after birth and appropriate feeding.