People from around the world will mark World Pneumonia Day on 12 November.
More than 1.5 million children die every year from pneumonia, more than from any other disease. But a million children’s lives a year could be saved by simple interventions such as vaccination against the most common causes of pneumonia and treatment with antibiotics.
For the first time in history, thanks to the GAVI Alliance partners, vaccines against the leading cause of pneumonia are reaching children in developing countries at nearly the same time they reach children in high income countries. This is unprecedented. The introduction of these vaccines is a cornerstone of GAVI’s ambitious plan to ensure that all children have equal access to life-saving vaccines.
The GAVI Alliance is a founder member of the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia, formed in 2009 to raise awareness and to encourage governments to support the implementation of a range of proven measures to prevent and treat pneumonia.