Health systems are falling short of ensuring that most vulnerable children have access to prevention and treatment services in the 23 countries, including India, that account for 75 per cent of global pneumonia and diarrhea deaths in children under five, stated a recent report.
The report, however, described the progress made in fighting pneumonia and diarrhea in countries with the highest absolute number of deaths and for the first time in countries with the highest rates of deaths from these illnesses.
According to Pneumonia and Diarrhea Progress Report 2019, the progress in India, which because of its population, recorded the highest number of under-five pneumonia and diarrhea deaths than any other country in 2017, has been mixed.
Rollout of rotavirus vaccines, beginning in 2016, and introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, beginning in 2017, helped India's scores improve, a statement by the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) said.
India's exclusive breastfeeding rate, at 55 per cent, is among the highest of the 23 countries. However, the proportion of children receiving important treatments as with many other countries remains below targets. Half of children with diarrhea receive ORS and 20 per cent receive zinc, the report mentioned, a statement said.
The 10th annual Pneumonia and Diarrhea Progress Report Card from the International Vaccine Access Center highlighted increase in immunization coverage-but a universal failure to meet targets across 23 countries with the greatest burden of disease.
Globally, pneumonia and diarrhea led to nearly one of every four deaths in children under five years of age in 2017.
More From This Section
This report analyzed how effectively countries are delivering 10 key interventions -- breastfeeding, vaccination, access to care, use of antibiotics, oral rehydration solution (ORS), and zinc supplementation -- to help protect against, prevent and treat pneumonia and diarrhea.
These measures are proven to help prevent deaths due to these illnesses and can help achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goal target of reducing under-five mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births by 2030.
The Pneumonia and Diarrhea Progress Report, issued annually for a decade, finds as in past years that immunization coverage -- the most frequently updated indicator in the report -- generally makes up the highest scores. Use of exclusive breastfeeding continues to lag behind, as does access to treatment, particularly zinc supplements for diarrhea.
"It's critical to prevent children from becoming ill from pneumonia and diarrhea by ensuring universal coverage of immunization, so we're pleased to see higher scores for immunization across many countries," said Bill Moss, MD, MPH, Executive Director of IVAC and Professor in the Department of International Health.
"However, newer vaccines such as rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccine are not yet reaching most children in these 23 countries, and access to treatments such as basic antibiotics and oral rehydration therapy is surprisingly low across most of the countries included," Moss added.
Sixteen out of the 23 countries assessed failed to meet the targets for any of 10 interventions to protect against and treat pneumonia and diarrhea, as outlined in the World Health Organization and UNICEF's Integrated Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhea (GAPPD).
Three of the 23 countries met the 90 per cent target coverage rate for at least four vaccines, while one was able to attain 90 per cent level of coverage for all four treatment measures.
The report card concluded that progress continues slowly with only a few of the 23 countries in the analysis positioned to meet GAPPD targets by 2025.The global community must increase investment and support countries in developing smart, sustainable strategies that close gaps and accelerate progress.