World Pneumonia Day

The 2nd Annual World Pneumonia Day will take place on 12 November 2010 and is an opportunity to raise global awareness of pneumonia.  The United States is committed to preventing unnecessary loss of life to pneumonia, the single largest cause of death in children worldwide according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Pneumonia is a lung infection caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi.  Children under 5 years of age, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems have the greatest risk of infection.  World Pneumonia Day was established by the Global Coalition Against Pneumonia (GCAP) in April 2009. This coalition includes the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Save the Children, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the U.S. Coalition for Child Survival, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.


In September 2009, U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton announced the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, a public-private partnership that addresses indoor air pollution, a large contributor to conditions associated with children and women contracting pneumonia.


The Alliance has a goal of “100 by 20,” which calls for 100 million homes to adopt clean and efficient stoves and fuels by 2020.  The long-term goal is the universal adoption of clean and efficient cooking solutions. 
The United States government has committed more than $50 million over the next five years in support of the Alliance’s goals.

Related:
 • The United States and the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves