The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently introduced a new campaign called Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) in Gujarat. This initiative aims to drive down the rate of child mortality due to pneumonia, which is responsible for roughly 15% of deaths in children under five each year.
Key Strategies of the SAANS Campaign
A primary feature of the SAANS campaign is community mobilization to protect children from pneumonia, alongside training health personnel and other relevant parties to deliver prioritized treatment to control this disease. Measures include treating children with pneumonia using an antibiotic named amoxicillin administered by Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers.
Incorporating Technology into Disease Detection and Treatment
Healthcare technology is also deployed in this fight against pneumonia. A device named Pulse Oximeter is used at the Health and Wellness Centre to detect low oxygen levels in children’s blood. If needed, oxygen cylinders can be used to normalize the oxygen level, addressing one of the dangerous complications of pneumonia.
Public Awareness on Pneumonia Prevention
A comprehensive public awareness campaign is being rolled out, educating the public about effective solutions for pneumonia prevention such as breastfeeding, age-appropriate complementary feeding, and immunization.
Understanding Pneumonia
Pneumonia refers to an infection that inflames the alveoli (air sacs) in one or both lungs. In these cases, the air sacs may fill up with fluid or pus, leading to symptoms like cough, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing. A variety of germs, including bacteria and viruses present in the air humans breathe, can cause pneumonia. Fortunately, the disease is preventable through vaccination.
Vulnerable Populations
Pneumonia most often affects infants and young children, people older than age 65, and individuals with weakened immune systems. The disease’s prevalence among infants in India stands out. The under-five mortality rate in the country is 37 per 1000 live births, with pneumonia causing 5.3 of these deaths.
Prevention Measures in India: A Quick Overview
| Year | Initiative | Objective |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 (target) | SAANS Campaign | Reduce pneumonia deaths among children to less than three per 1,000 live births |
| 2014 | Integrated Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (IAPPD) | Prevent diarrhoea and Pneumonia related under-five deaths |
Towards a Healthier Future for Indian Children
India has been taking significant steps to curb pneumonia-related fatalities among children. The government has set a target to reduce the number of pneumonia deaths among children to fewer than three per 1,000 live births by 2025. Back in 2014, the country launched the ‘Integrated Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (IAPPD)’ initiative, which seeks collaborative efforts towards preventing diarrhoea and pneumonia-related under-five deaths.