LAHORE: Despite a decrease in infant mortality rate of Pakistan from 62 per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 56 per 1,000 live births in 2022, Pneumonia is still the number one killer in Pakistan, with 70,000 deaths per year.

Dr. Irfan Habib, Medical Director at ChildLife Foundation, said, “There are around 15 million episodes of ARI (Acute Respiratory Infections) in Pakistani children annually and that includes milder illnesses like; common cold, and flu, to severity that needs admission to hospitals in which Bronchiolitis, acute attacks of Asthma and Pneumonia are on top. Prevention, early recognition, and interventions (seeking medical care) can save more lives”.

According to him, Bronchiolitis (inflammation of the air passage due to virus) is affecting mostly infants, especially during the rainy season and early winters. Parents and adults can easily infect young children with the virus.

Its symptoms resemble those of common cold (runny nose, sore throat, cough, and sometimes fever). “Take your child to the doctor immediately if you think they have above symptoms along with chest in-drawing. Sometimes your child can get Pneumonia right away after getting off another infection such as cold or flu”, he said, adding: “A mother should not discontinue breastfeeding even during her cold and flu-like illness.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022