Public health: ‘Educate mothers to prevent pneumonia’

Seminar held to mark World Pneumonia Day

MULTAN:

“Pneumonia, a preventable ailment, is the biggest killer of children under the age of five years all over the world. Nearly one in five child deaths result from pneumonia worldwide,” said Saima Ashiq Chishti, manager of CATCH Programme on Friday.

She was addressing a seminar held to mark the World Pneumonia Day. The seminar was organised by Nishtar Hospital and the Helping Hands Foundation.

As many as 250 people attended the seminar. The seminar was organised to raise awareness and generate action against pneumonia.

Chishti briefed the participants about community mobilisation strategies and activities regarding mother-and-child health.

She said pneumonia was a form of acute respiratory infection which affected lungs, making breathing painful and limiting oxygen intake.

“It is a preventable and treatable illness. Vaccines, antibiotic treatments and improved sanitation can do wonders for child health,” she said. Saima said children were assets of every nation.

“It is better to prevent the disease than cure it,” she said.

She said it was imperative for citizens to have more information about the fatal disease. HHF chairman Ghulam Mustufa said that with the collaboration of Punjab government, the foundation had organized 200 awareness sessions in rural areas of south Punjab.

He said efforts had been made to educate mothers about symptoms and preventive steps against pneumonia.

He said pneumonia in Pakistan could not be controlled without educating mothers. Amina Mehmood Awan spoke on the symptoms of pneumonia and highlighted common behaviours of mothers that led to the illness. She said it was imperative that children be kept warm in winter.

She explained how pneumonia affected the respiratory system and said that breast feeding, improving indoor air quality, safe drinking water and good sanitation practices and nutrition for children under two years were the best ways to prevent the disease. Later, she examined several mothers and children.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2015.