Announcement: World Pneumonia Day — November 12, 2015

Weekly

November 6, 2015 / 64(43);1227

November 12, 2015, is the seventh annual World Pneumonia Day, observed to raise awareness and promote interventions to protect against, treat, and prevent pneumonia, which continues to be a global public health concern. Each year approximately 900,000 children aged <5 years die from pneumonia worldwide; 70% of childhood pneumonia hospitalizations in the United States are in this age group (1,2). Pneumonia is also a leading infectious cause of hospitalization and death among U.S. adults, resulting in >$10 billion in hospital expenses in 2011 (3). Preventing future pneumonia-related deaths and illnesses among children and adults globally depends on vaccination against some of the pathogens that cause pneumonia; reductions in medical conditions and behaviors, such as smoking, that increase the risk for pneumonia; improved diagnostic tests; and appropriate antimicrobial therapy and supportive care.

Ongoing research on diagnostics, prevention, and treatment, better access to existing tools, as well as the concerted efforts of national governments, the international community, civil society, and the private sector to guide policy and funding, are also important.

To strengthen surveillance efforts CDC is joining with other U.S. government agencies and global partners to advance a Global Health Security Agenda (additional information available at http://www.globalhealth.gov/global-health-topics/global-health-security/GHS%20Agenda.pdf

). Additional information about World Pneumonia Day is available at http://worldpneumoniaday.org

, including the new Pneumonia and Diarrhea Progress Report 2015.

References

Liu L, Oza S, Hogan D, et al. Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality in 2000–13, with projections to inform post-2015 priorities: an updated systematic analysis. Lancet 2015;385:430–40.
Jain S, Williams DJ, Arnold SR, et al. Community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization among U.S. children. N Engl J Med 2015;372:835–45.
Pfunter A, Wier LM, Steiner C. Costs for hospital stays in the United States, 2011 (Statistical Brief No. 168). Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project; 2013.