Facts and myth about pneumonia
Myth: Only elderly people get pneumonia.
Fact: Pneumonia kills more children under five worldwide than any other illness. It kills over 4 million people each year. Over half of them are children under 5. That is over 2 million children each year.
Myth: You get pneumonia from going outside in the cold with wet hair or without a coat.
Fact: Well, over half of pneumonia cases worldwide occur in the tropics. Pneumonia is more common in the colder months, but it is not caused by the cold it is caused predominantly by viruses and bacteria. The majority of life-threatening child pneumonia is caused by two bacteria: Streptococcus Pneumoniae (pneumococcus) and Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib). Hib and pneumococcus are common around the world all year round.
Myth: Pneumonia is just a severe form of the cold, so you cannot prevent it.
Fact: We can prevent the most deadly pneumonia with two vaccines. The pneumococcal and Hib vaccines prevent up to 50 percent of life-threatening child pneumonia. The measles and pertussis vaccines can also prevent pneumonia.
Children who are underweight or kids with smoke-damaged lungs are more at risk of catching pneumonia. We can prevent pneumonia by giving children enough nutritious food and reducing indoor air pollution, which is a common problem in the developing world because of poorly ventilated cooking stoves.
Myth: You can only catch pneumonia from a sick friend or family member.
Fact: You can "catch" the bacteria that cause pneumonia from healthy people. Certain bacteria live in the noses and mouths of people who are completely well. It is common for elderly people to "catch" the bacteria from young children who are healthy, so vaccinating children helps to protect the elderly.
Myth: Treating pneumonia requires expensive therapies that only wealthy nations can afford.
Fact: If caught early, most life threatening pneumonia in children can be cured with a course of antibiotics that costs less. Unfortunately, many cases are not caught early. Antibiotics alone are not enough; we must also expand on strategies that improve access to healthcare so that children in need will be able to get treatment sooner.
Severe cases of pneumonia cause a heavy burden to health systems and to poor families who have to care for a sick child. The cost of inaction is greater than the cost of action.
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