2nd Global Forum on Childhood Pneumonia

What was achieved?

The 2nd Global Forum on Childhood Pneumonia was held in April 2023 to build on the momentum from the first Global Forum and leverage the attention COVID-19 focused on respiratory health to reduce child pneumonia deaths. The two-day event launched 38 new and ambitious commitments to accelerate introduction and scale up of lifesaving interventions, including full coverage of the pneumonia-fighting vaccines (e.g., PCV, pertussis, Hib, and measles), reductions in child malnutrition, as well as rapid access to diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics and oxygen, especially as part of strong primary health care systems.

Senior representatives from the Spanish Government, leading health ministry officials from a subset of countries with high burdens of child pneumonia, donor governments, foundations, NGOs, companies and academic institutions came together in-person to rejuvenate the fight to reduce child pneumonia deaths and boost national child survival progress. Leading experts showcased the latest evidence on best practices and high-impact programs and solutions with the power to dramatically reduce child pneumonia deaths, especially through integrated services that reach the most vulnerable children (e.g., zero dose children). The 2nd Global Forum also explored opportunities to strengthen child health services by leveraging the political momentum and pandemic support that high-burden countries have received.

The event took place during World Immunization Week and after UNICEF launched the State of the World’s Children Report, which focused on fully protecting every child with life-saving vaccines. It was a key moment to reverse backsliding on childhood immunization, accelerate the introduction and scale up of existing life-saving vaccines (e.g., PCV), and plan for the introduction of promising new vaccines, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of child mortality despite the availability of vaccines and medicines that can prevent and treat it. Most of the estimated 700,000 children under five who die from pneumonia each year live in a relatively small number of low- and middle-income countries with weak health systems that struggle to provide these vaccines and medicines. Children in these countries are also at an increased risk of pneumonia death due to malnutrition, polluted air, and low birth weight and preterm birth. COVID-19, climate change, and conflict are making it increasingly difficult to reduce child pneumonia deaths to the levels required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, unless specific actions are taken.

The 2nd Global Forum was a collaboration of 12 global health agencies who share a commitment to child survival.