Shillong, Nov 14: On World Pneumonia Day, health officials in Jowai said pneumonia is now the number one killer of young children in West Jaintia Hills.
Officials said 239 children below five years died in one year, from April 2025 to March 2026. Of these, 41 died of pneumonia, which is 17 per cent. Among babies below one year, 29 per cent of deaths were due to pneumonia. From April to September 2026 alone, 26 of the 116 child deaths were due to pneumonia, which is more than one in five.
Dr B Nongrum, DSO, IDSP, said these were not just figures, these were children whose lives could have been saved.
Dr E Suchiang, Paediatrician at MCH Hospital, said pneumonia is treatable, but delay is killing children. He said parents must rush to hospital immediately if their child has fast breathing or difficulty breathing, coughing, grunting, or refuses to breastfeed. He said it is especially dangerous if the baby is below two months old. He said parents must not wait till tomorrow, because late arrival can cause pus around the lungs, which may need tube drainage.
He said parents can protect children by breastfeeding and vaccinating them, and the pneumococcal vaccine is free in government hospitals. He said children must be kept away from firewood smoke, rooms must be kept warm but smoke-free this winter, sick people must not handle newborns, hygiene must be maintained, and saline drops can be used for a blocked nose.
Launching the SAANS campaign, social awareness and action to neutralize Pneumonia, at MCH Hospital, Panaliar, Assistant Commissioner LBR Marak urged every family to recognise the warning signs early and seek help immediately, saying one delay can cost a child’s life.
The campaign aims to push awareness, early identification and timely treatment, with ASHAs, ANMs, doctors and nurses reaching every village. Health officials said pneumonia deaths are preventable, and parents must not ignore a cough or fast breathing.
