12 November is World Pneumonia Day – an annual day of action, aiming to change how the world tackles the biggest contributor to childhood mortality – pneumonia
This year, we are excited to share some of our latest research findings (presented at the ASTMH conference last week) and insights from our experts about the need for increased focus on pneumonia research priorities, improved diagnostics and how we're and using the LiST toolto estimate the impact of pneumonia interventions in Chad and Ethiopia.
Why we must increase access to lifesaving pneumonia interventions for children
Pneumonia – an acute infection of the lungs caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi – is a disease of poverty
This disproportionately affects children and communities living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In 2019, around one third of pneumonia fatalities were in children under five – an estimated 740,000 child deaths, almost two per minute. More than 75 percent of these are clustered in LMICs in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
We were priviledged to present at the 71st American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) annual meeting last week in Seattle
We were proud to have our experts represent Malaria Consortium at one of the world's largest scientific conferences last week – ASTMH - including a symposium on pneumonia research priorities. To find out what they got up to, visit our website where you can access all of the posters and presentations.
Through the AIRR project, we are using artificial intelligence (AI) on mobile devices to determine respiratory rate (RR) and improve the ease and reliability of paediatric pneumonia diagnosis in children under five in LMICs.
Timely case management and access to affordable diagnostics
We are supporting PATH with the Tools for Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (TIMCI) project, to evaluate six new diagnostic aids, aiming to improve access to affordable and appropriate tools for health workers to identify critically ill children and refer them for treatment without delay.
In Chadand Ethiopia, we are supporting ministries of health to develop national pneumonia control strategies. The Lives Saves Tool(LiST) will also be used in both countries to estimate the impact of pneumonia interventions.
We have launched an internal Think Tank to drive Malaria Consortium's strategy and engagement for pneumonia, led by our Senior Technical Advisor, Elizabeth Berryman, alongside Kevin Baker, our Senior Research Advisor who leads Every Breath Count's Research Group and advises the Lancet Commission on Essential Oxygen.
