Gurgaon: Haryana's district hospitals will be equipped with essential medical devices, including paediatric nebulisers, pulse oximeters, oxygen cylinders, nasal prongs, and suction catheters to combat childhood pneumonia mortality. The state aims to reduce pneumonia-related deaths to less than three per 1,000 live births by 2025, down from the current 5.7.
The initiative, launched as part of an awareness campaign running till Feb 28, 2025, aims to curb pneumonia deaths among children under five, said an official.
With pneumococcal pneumonia responsible for 16% of severe cases and 30% of deaths in children under five, hospitals offering comprehensive care will be identified and listed for frontline workers to ensure swift referrals in emergencies..
The lung infection, caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal agents, fills the alveoli (air sacs) with pus, obstructing the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Haryana's director of health services, Dr Virender Yadav, said that district hospitals would each receive four nebulisers, four Salbutamol MDI inhalers with spacers, pulse oximeters, oxygen cylinders, concentrators, and hoods, as well as nasal prongs and suction catheters. Medicines such as amoxicillin, gentamicin injections, and ampicillin would also be available at these facilities. Personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitisers, and other necessary resources are to be provided as well, he added.
As part of the initiative, skill stations will be set up in each district hospital. "These stations will facilitate district-level training and reorientation," Yadav said, emphasising that district master trainers will lead capacity-building sessions for officials under the Social Awareness and Action to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) program. The training will cascade down to healthcare staff and frontline workers who will conduct home visits to identify cases early.
One of the aspects of the state's pneumonia control program is the focus on community-based interventions led by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and other healthcare workers. Over the next year, these trained personnel will conduct household visits to screen children under five for symptoms of pneumonia. In cases of cough and breathing difficulty, the frontline workers will assess children and carry amoxicillin to provide treatment on-site if needed.
The state has allocated Rs 15.4 crore to support these efforts, which are essential given the high rate of pneumonia among children. Between April 2023 and March 2024, the state recorded 17,688 cases, including 8,230 respiratory infections and 3,565 hospital admissions.
Risk factors contributing to childhood pneumonia include low birth weight, malnutrition, non-exclusive breastfeeding, indoor air pollution, and lack of vaccination, especially for measles, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib vaccine), and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV).