HHF Marks World Pneumonia Day 2011
November 12, 2011, marks the 3rd Annual World Pneumonia Day. The Haitian Health Foundation has long been a leader in Haiti in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of this childhood killer. Our public health programs in pneumonia have been recognized by global health organizations and have been the subject of numerous studies and other academic research that have proven the effectiveness of our interventions over more than two decades.
Through HHF’s programs, pneumonia deaths were reduced by 50% in our catchment area, and HHF health agents have successfully treated over 70,000 cases of pneumonia (children often get it more than once).
As with nearly all of HHF’s programs, education is a strong component of pneumonia public health efforts. Click here to view Haitian Health Foundation health agents presenting a song that they wrote – the song educates families about recognizing and obtaining treatment for pneumonia. There is a significant rate of non-literacy within our population, so HHF uses creative teaching techniques, such as songs, skits, and stories – easily remembered and shared.
Did you know…
- More than one million children die from pneumonia each year.
- Pneumonia is the leading cause of death among children under 5 years of age worldwide.
- One child dies from pneumonia every 20 seconds. That’s 4,300 young lives lost every day.
- Most children who die of pneumonia live in developing countries, including Haiti.
- 98% of children who die of pneumonia live in developing countries.
- Illness and hospitalization due to pneumonia are preventable sources of suffering and stress, as the disease is preventable with tools like Hib and pneumococcal vaccines, and the integrated collection of steps that can be taken to protect children.
Please take a few moments to watch the following video describing pneumonia’s toll on children in poverty in the world.
