One in every six infant deaths (17 percent) in the country is due to pneumonia, State Immunisation Officer Dr B Mawlong informed today, with Meghalaya being no exception.
“Even in our state this is one of the main causes of child’s mortality,” Dr Mawlong informed during the launch of the Social Awareness Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) in Rangbihbih village today.
Dr Mawlong said that pneumonia is easily treatable but can become serious if not treated early enough.
She said that if children have pneumonia they become weak and oxygen levels go down and the child will start breathing heavily.
To prevent death due to pneumonia, the central government started the SAANS campaign, which is held every year from November 12 to the end of February.
Dr Mawlong pointed out that in cold places like Meghalaya children get pneumonia or cough and chest congestion throughout the year.
For this reason she said that there is the need to strengthen awareness on how to take care of infants. She pointed out that in Khasi tradition newborn infants are bathed daily, which, according to her, should not be the norm.
Dr Mawlong pointed out that, apart from immunisation for DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus) and measles, now infants can be inoculated against pneumonia with the pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine, which is administered when the infant is one and a half month old, two and a half months and in the child’s ninth month.
She said that through the SAANS programme the ASHAs, ANMs and Anganwadi workers are given training on how to detect that an infant is suffering from pneumonia and need to be shifted to a hospital for treatment.
The State Immunisation Officer also said that if an infant is suffering from fever or having a cough they should be immediately taken to the ASHA workers of ANM so that they can be administered with medicines.
East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner RM Kurbah who attended the programme urged the villagers to come forward to link their Aadhaar with their Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) cards.
She also said one of the strategies to tackle child mortality from pneumonia is the introduction of the pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine into the state’s immunisation schedule.
Recognizing the gravity of pneumonia-related child mortality, the central government initiated SAANS in November 2019. The campaign’s launch in Meghalaya underlines the state’s dedicated efforts to combat pneumonia effectively and with a focused approach, Kurbah added.
This initiative aligns with the state’s commitment in ensuring the well-being of its citizens, especially the vulnerable child population, by introducing crucial vaccination measures and fostering health awareness through community engagement, a press release stated.
