Despite government efforts since 2012 to scale up approaches to protect, prevent, and treat pneumonia among children under five, the disease continues to claim lives in various parts of the country.
According to national surveillance data from 2022, the incidence of severe pneumonia was 108 per 100,000 children under five. Additionally, statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate that pneumonia accounts for 10 percent of under-five deaths in Uganda, with at least 25 children dying from the disease every day.
In a Friday webinar organized by the Busoga Health Forum on pediatric pneumonia management, Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, a specialist pediatrician from the Department of Pediatrics at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, highlighted the issue of antibiotic overprescription noting that both qualified and unqualified medical practitioners contribute to this problem, which hampers the fight against pneumonia.
Dr. Sabrina emphasized that only 20 percent of respiratory infections require antibiotic treatment, while the remaining 80 percent do not benefit from antibiotics and, if treated with them, contribute to antibiotic resistance.
“I urge healthcare providers to follow rational antibiotic use principles, including treating only bacterial infections, properly assessing patients, recognizing local resistance patterns, integration and using effective agents,” Dr. Sabrina noted.
“If a child can take oral antibiotics, avoid using injectable antibiotics solely to sell expensive medications. Follow proper prescription criteria, this will gradually help us in the fight against pneumonia” she advised.
Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection affecting the lungs. It causes the alveoli to fill with pus and fluid, making breathing painful and limiting oxygen intake.
The disease, caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infections, is the leading infectious cause of death in children worldwide, killing 740,180 children under the age of five in 2019, according to the World Health Organization’s 2022 report.
The report further indicates that deaths are highest in southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. However, pneumonia can be prevented through simple interventions.
Key symptoms of pneumonia include a cough that may produce greenish, yellow, or bloody mucus, fever, sweating, shaking chills, shortness of breath, rapid shallow breathing, stabbing chest pain, loss of appetite, and fatigue.
When asked about the most common type of pneumonia in the country, Dr. Sabrina explained that pneumonia, which refers to any condition causing inflammation of the lungs, can vary based on where it is acquired. It can be classified as community-acquired pneumonia, hospital-acquired pneumonia, or even pneumonia occurring at birth.
Preventive strategies include vaccination, case management with Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) at all healthcare levels, improved nutrition, controlling indoor air pollution, and preventing and managing HIV infection.
Great information for both health practitioners and beyond
A great write up, in a language that the common man can understand.
Thank you Abdu