Childhood Pneumonia and Diarrhoea - Discussion for the Month (May 2013)

Groups » Childhood Pneumonia and Diarrhoea - Discussion for the Month (May 2013)

In the past 20 years, global mortality in children younger than 5 years has decreased by 41%, from 87 deaths per 1000 livebirths in 1990, to 51 deaths in 2011. This decline is a public health success, but time trends hide the real tragedy: 6·9 million children younger than 5 years still died in 2011, mostly from preventable causes. Furthermore, the world is not on track to meet Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4, to reduce deaths in children younger than 5 years by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. Acceleration of the reduction in child deaths requires targeting of the leading causes of mortality. In the postneonatal period, the biggest killers of children younger than 5 years are pneumonia and diarrhoea. Childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea share many risk factors (eg, absence of exclusive breastfeeding of children younger than 6 months, undernutrition, zinc deficiency), and solutions. Integrated programmes for these illnesses can reduce the burden of both. The Lancet Series on Childhood Pneumonia and Diarrhoea, led by Aga Khan University, Pakistan, provides evidence for integrated control efforts for childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea.  Find this information here: http://mother-childlink.tghn.org/articles/childhood-pneumonia-and-diarrhoea/ This month, May, we are also fortunate to have one of the key persons from the new Lancet  Series, Prof. Zulfiqar A Bhutta, available with us for questions and comments. The Series provides the evidence base to make the case that ending preventable child deaths from pneumonia and diarrhoea within the next 12 years is ambitious but achievable and necessary. Post your questions or comments to this group below. To post questions or comments:

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