What I've Learnt - Every Breath Counts Coalition

WHAT I'VE LEARNT

It’s hard to imagine not being able to breathe, suffocating slowly because your Doctor or clinic has actually run out of oxygen!

That’s the horrific reality facing many thousands of children and adults dying from Pneumonia.

Pneumonia is the single largest killer of children worldwide and with the outbreak of COVID-19, the access to oxygen crisis has worsened.

Every 30 seconds a child dies from pneumonia and unless we act now, a further 168,000 children under 5 are anticipated to die from COVID-19 by 2022.

Speaking from her home base in New York, fiesty and focused mother of three Leith Greenslade is president of the ‘Every Breath Counts’ organization - a coalition of UN agencies, businesses, donors, and NGOs committed to supporting governments in countries with some of the highest burdens of pneumonia. The 48 members provide support to close the critical gaps in pneumonia prevention, diagnosis and treatment, which could save hundreds of thousands of pneumonia deaths each year. Theyre leading an ambitious goal: to reduce the number of children and adults dying from pneumonia.

Pneumonia is the world’s biggest infectious killer of adults and children – claiming the lives of 2.5 million, including 672,000 children, in 2019.

COVID-19 could add 1.9 million to the death toll this year. This would increase ‘all-cause’ pneumonia deaths by more than 75 percent.

“Everything I do is to correct life’s lottery so everyone no matter their childhood birthplace etc

Everyone is fundamentally equal and has the same potential.” says Leith

COVID-19 has alerted governments to the dangers of respiratory infections like pneumonia, and to the need to build strong health systems so they can effectively diagnose and treat these conditions, with a key focus on vulnerable populations.

Many countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America that are struggling with the heavy burdens of COVID-19 and child pneumonia deaths will need effective strategies to fight both.

This year, World Pneumonia Day will be held during a global pneumonia pandemic. ..COVID-19 is expected to cause 1.3 million deaths.

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