The incidence of Pneumonia is on the rise as a result of environmental pollution and mismanagement
Experts claim that “The risk of Pneumonia a lung infection, getting triggered by environmental pollution or mismanagement in Bangladesh. The environment mismanagement includes air pollution, inadequate ventilation, and lack of personal hygiene, safe water crisis and malnutrition.”
Although there are various programs in the country, including extended vaccination for the treatment of Pneumonia, the number of infections and deaths due to different types of bacteria and germs is increasing.
According to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B), “About 80,000 children under the age of 5 getting hospitalized in Bangladesh every year with viral Pneumonia and various respiratory problems. Of which 50 thousand faces death. Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in 28% of all children under the age of five.”
According to experts, “One of the causes of environmental disasters is air pollution. Air pollution is one of the leading causes of Pneumonia.
Air pollution causes infections in the human body, especially in the lungs of children and adults, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc. Sneezing-coughing increases the risk of Pneumonia, especially in densely populated slum areas where the ventilation facilities in the houses are low.”
According to the Bangladesh Health Facility Survey, 1 million children worldwide are infected with Pneumonia every year. The infant mortality rate in Bangladesh is Eighteen percent.
At present, thirty-five people are dying from this disease. The government is trying to bring down the death rate to 3 per thousand by 2025. However, experts complained that there is no visible initiative.
Dr Sheikh Shahinur Hossain, the organizing Secretary of Bangladesh lung foundation and Associate Professor of the National Institute of Chest Disease and Hospital (NIDCH) said that “In 2019, about 7 lakh 9 thousand 200 people died of Pneumonia worldwide.
Of these, 4 lakh 23 thousand died due to domestic air pollution. In countries like Bangladesh, due to rapid urbanization and the development of industrial zones, clean air is declining. The absence of clean air increases the risk of Pneumonia.”
Dr. Kamruzzaman Kamrul, Assistant Professor of Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital Respiratory Department said, “Three things – vaccination, healthy living and clean environment – can prevent pneumonia.”
“There are pediatricians at the Upazila level for the treatment of the disease in the country. However, due to the unconsciousness and ignorance of the guardian, they do not go to the hospital on time,” Dr. Kamrul added.
Professor Manzur Hossain, the Former director of Dhaka Children’s Hospital and Bangladesh Children’s Physicians Association (BPA), said, “The pneumonia vaccination program got disrupted due to corona. We have to bring speed in this activity.”
“Work needs to be done to improve the nutrition of the baby. These measures, including increasing the milk supply of children, play an important role in reducing the risk of infant mortality in Pneumonia.
Achieving the SDG target got expected to reduce child mortality by 2030. But implementation of SDGs will be a challenge if viral diseases like Pneumonia cannot get reduced,” professor Hossain added.
