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Facts. You decide. |
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| 40% The proportion of children under-five with suspected Pneumonia in Sub-Saharan Africa taken to a health provider |
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| Reduce child mortality |
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| Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate |
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In childhood, pneumonia and malaria have major overlaps in terms of symptoms, the requirements for their effective management and the feasibility of providing care in the community. In effect, especially in very young children, it may be impossible to tell whether a high fever, coughing and fast breathing is evidence of either pneumonia or malaria, and in such cases children often receive treatment for both. Once a child develops pneumonia, a caregiver must recognize the symptoms and seek appropriate care immediately.
Since a large proportion of severe pneumonia cases in children of the developing world are bacterial in origin – mostly Streptococcus pneumoniae or Haemophilus influenzae – they can be effectively treated using inexpensive antibiotics at home, provided that families and caregivers follow the advice they receive and treat the child correctly, including returning for help as necessary. If these conditions are in place, evidence from across the developing world suggests that community-based management of pneumonia can be very effective.
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| Source: UNICEF, The State of the Worlds Children Report 2008, New York, December 2007. |
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