Question : Pneumonia in Children

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether pneumonia claimed the lives of more than 1.5 lakh children under the age of five in 2015 in India;

(b) if so, the details thereof during the last three years and the current year, State-wise;

(c) whether the Government is aware that pneumonia imposes a major economic burden on people, particularly on poor and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government has noted that pneumonia leads children to miss their school education; and

(e) if so, the measures taken to find out an effective solution to pneumonia in the country?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a) & (b): As per National Health Profile 2017, total 2918 deaths were reported due to pneumonia in the year 2015.

However, as per Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) Report 2012, it is estimated that 15% of the under-five deaths are due to pneumonia. Information on deaths in under-five children due to pneumonia is not maintained centrally.
(c) & (d):
• Acute respiratory infections including pneumonia are an important cause of morbidity in children. Case fatality rate due to pneumonia is higher in young infants, malnourished under-five children and in the elderly. The reason of high case fatality in young children may be that the sick children are either not brought to health facilities or brought too late.
Contd……

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• Data regarding children missing school education due to pneumonia is not maintained centrally.
(e).
• Government of India is implementing nationwide immunisation activities under Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) to prevent various vaccine preventable diseases including diphtheria, whooping cough, haemophilus influenze, tuberculosis etc. which contribute to pneumonia. In addition, Government has recently introduced the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) in 3 States (Himachal Pradesh, 17 districts of Bihar and 6 districts of Uttar Pradesh) for prevention of pneumonia.

• The frontline health workers (ASHA and ANMs) are being trained under Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI) protocols for early detection and prompt referral of children with acute respiratory infections including pneumonia to health facilities for medical management.

• High case load public health facilities are being strengthened with establishment of Special New-born Care Units (SNCUs) and New-born Stabilisation Units (NBSUs) to manage new-born illnesses including pneumonia.

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