Child pneumonia mortality decreased by 51% during the Millennium Development Goal period (2000 – 2015). However, severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is still the commonest cause of under-5 deaths in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Successful management of severe CAP includes starting on time empirical antibiotics based on the age at onset, the clinical symptoms, and the epidemiological considerations. Currently, with the successful introduction of pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) conjugate vaccines, the epidemiology of CAP has changed; consequently, the respiratory syncytial virus is now the commonest etiologic pathogen of pneumonia. In a phased introduction (2014 – 2016) of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine ten valent (PCV 10) in Nigeria, the case fatality rate decreased significantly from 2.0% to 0%, at the University College Hospital, Ibadan in Nigeria, in which hypoxemia, the commonest cause of pneumonia mortality, was promptly treated. Improved oxygen accessibility may accelerate a decline in pneumonia mortality and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for health by 2030.
Interventions to combat pneumonia are known and globally available. However, they have only been effectively deployed recently. These include strong coordination of a multi-pronged and well-funded push against pneumonia, and sound and timely data on pneumonia intervention coverage. The novel National Pneumonia Control Strategy with the support of the Every Breath Counts Coalition (EBCC), Save the Children & GSK Partnership, has been developed in Nigeria. This strategy articulates a shared vision for reducing pneumonia-led morbidity and mortality and provides a unified approach to respond comprehensively to pneumonia within and outside the health sector. Strong political will and sustainable financing are now needed to effectively implement this strategy and accelerate progress on pneumonia control. Also, an approach to reducing the oxygen gap in health facilities should be intensified. This will contribute hugely to achieving the governmental health goals, the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.2, and the Global Action Plan on Pneumonia and Diarrhea (GAPPD) targets.
For this Research Topic, we accept original research articles, reviews, systematic reviews, and mini-reviews with an emphasis on sub-regional, regional, and global import, where appropriate, on the following themes:
- current epidemiology of CAP in children aged 2-59 months
- current and novel etiologic fractions of CAP regarding pneumonia etiology research for child health
- management of CAP with emphasis on reducing mortality to zero in LMICs
Child pneumonia mortality decreased by 51% during the Millennium Development Goal period (2000 – 2015). However, severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is still the commonest cause of under-5 deaths in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Successful management of severe CAP includes starting on time empirical antibiotics based on the age at onset, the clinical symptoms, and the epidemiological considerations. Currently, with the successful introduction of pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) conjugate vaccines, the epidemiology of CAP has changed; consequently, the respiratory syncytial virus is now the commonest etiologic pathogen of pneumonia. In a phased introduction (2014 – 2016) of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine ten valent (PCV 10) in Nigeria, the case fatality rate decreased significantly from 2.0% to 0%, at the University College Hospital, Ibadan in Nigeria, in which hypoxemia, the commonest cause of pneumonia mortality, was promptly treated. Improved oxygen accessibility may accelerate a decline in pneumonia mortality and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for health by 2030.
Interventions to combat pneumonia are known and globally available. However, they have only been effectively deployed recently. These include strong coordination of a multi-pronged and well-funded push against pneumonia, and sound and timely data on pneumonia intervention coverage. The novel National Pneumonia Control Strategy with the support of the Every Breath Counts Coalition (EBCC), Save the Children & GSK Partnership, has been developed in Nigeria. This strategy articulates a shared vision for reducing pneumonia-led morbidity and mortality and provides a unified approach to respond comprehensively to pneumonia within and outside the health sector. Strong political will and sustainable financing are now needed to effectively implement this strategy and accelerate progress on pneumonia control. Also, an approach to reducing the oxygen gap in health facilities should be intensified. This will contribute hugely to achieving the governmental health goals, the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.2, and the Global Action Plan on Pneumonia and Diarrhea (GAPPD) targets.
For this Research Topic, we accept original research articles, reviews, systematic reviews, and mini-reviews with an emphasis on sub-regional, regional, and global import, where appropriate, on the following themes:
- current epidemiology of CAP in children aged 2-59 months
- current and novel etiologic fractions of CAP regarding pneumonia etiology research for child health
- management of CAP with emphasis on reducing mortality to zero in LMICs
