11 Nov World Pneumonia Day to be marked by superheroes, politicians, stars and a Geneva landmark turned blue
Events worldwide aim to raise awareness about the leading killer of children under five
GENEVA, 11 November 2010 — Superheroes, stars, politicians, health workers, development experts, children and thousands of concerned citizens around the world will on Friday 12 November mark World Pneumonia Day, highlighting the world’s leading killer of children under five years old.
More than 1.5 million children die every year from pneumonia, more than from any other disease. But a million children’s lives a year could be saved by simple interventions such as vaccination against the most common causes of pneumonia and treatment with antibiotics.
The GAVI Alliance is a founder member of the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia, formed last year to raise awareness and to encourage governments to support the implementation of a range of proven measures to prevent and treat pneumonia. With more than 100 members, the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia launched the first World Pneumonia Day last November.