World Pneumonia Day Website

This website supports campaign efforts for the annual World Pneumonia Day (WPD), November 12, a day to raise awareness of the effects of pneumonia, particularly on infants and children, and encourage dissemination of prevention and treatment information and resources. It includes a page for support in planning WPD campaign efforts that includes: social media links, a countdown timer, WPD logos, printable stickers and button, and a WPD banner. Planning links include, among other resources, sample letters to the editor, event planning checklists, and photography consent forms, for example. Advocacy materials are included each year on the website, such as this social media kit [PDF].

An informational page focuses on: facts and figures; global pneumonia interventions; protections; prevention, such as vaccination and zinc supplementation; informational resources links; a link to the Pneumonia Journal; and recommendations for fighting pneumonia, such as:

• Hold a World Pneumonia Day event (November 12th).
• Follow us! Twitter: @Stop_Pneumonia
• Like us! Facebook: Stop_Pneumonia
• Continue the conversation with #StopPneumonia.

Facts on treating pneumonia included on the website:

• “Antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, can prevent the majority of pneumonia deaths, and cost only about $US 0.21-0.42 per treatment course.”
• “Effective, integrated case management strategies ensure that children receive proper and timely treatment for pneumonia.”
• “Improving access to services and increasing awareness and demand for services within communities is crucial to controlling pneumonia.”

A blog page is included on the website, with posts from various websites.

The resource page offers several infographics including one on childhood pneumonia (PDF format) using colourful graphic design to explain the risks of pneumonia. It focuses on infants and young children. The illustrations show symptoms described as: cough, fever, chills, headaches, difficulty breathing, and loss of appetite and links them to possible conditions of colds and sore throats. The illustrations then show how a child might contract pneumonia by breathing in bacteria that can infect the lungs. Statistics on the impact of the illness are offered, linking it to child deaths. Protections are illustrated, among them: handwashing, breastfeeding, and vaccination.

Another infographic from PATH, Tackling the Deadliest Diseases for the World’s Poorest Children, links diarrhoeal disease and pneumonia as causes of child deaths and maps their occurrences, showing the concentration in Africa, Asia, and South and Southeast Asia. It illustrates pneumonia treatments, described as antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, and recommends cookstoves for air quality improvement. Overlapping protection for both diarrhoeal diseases and pneumonia are illustrated as: exclusive breastfeeding, basic sanitation, handwashing with soap, safe drinking water, adequate nutrition, and vaccines and treatments.

This website is a product of Stop Pneumonia, an initiative providing "a voice for communities who suffer from the devastating consequences of the disease and who lack access to lifesaving interventions. While progress has been made in reducing deaths due to pneumonia, a continued focus and sustained investment in child health is needed to provide simple and effective solutions to finish the job. The Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia provides leadership on these advocacy efforts and is comprised of NGOs [non-governmental organisations], academic institutions, government agencies, and foundations."