Issue 78 November 9, 2012 | Focus on World Pneumonia Day 2012
World Pneumonia Day 2012 is November 12. Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs. According to the World Health Organization, pneumonia is the single largest cause of death in children worldwide. Every year, it kills an estimated 1.4 million children under the age of five, accounting for 18 percent of all deaths of children under five years old worldwide. 
This issue of the WASHplus Weekly contains resources on environmental risk factors that increase a child’s susceptibility to pneumonia. These include: indoor air pollution caused by cooking and heating with biomass fuels (such as wood or dung); living in crowded homes; and parental smoking. Also included are recent resources on hand washing, ventilation, and other techniques to prevent pneumonia.
