United Nations Radio

The World Health Organization and UNICEF have joined forces to fight pneumonia - the world's leading killer of young children .

The organizations say their joint action plan to tackle pneumonia can prevent the deaths of as many as 5.3 million children by 2015.

GAPP - The Global Action Plan for the prevention and control of Pneumonia aims to increase awareness about the respiratory ailment. The plan offers recommendations on key interventions of proven benefit in the fight against pneumonia. It highlights what needs to be done, specific goals and targets and estimates of what it will cost and how many lives will be saved. Dr. Shamin Qazi of WHO's Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development says under the GAPP strategy the plan is to provide 90% coverage for exclusive breastfeeding, vaccines and treatment of children where needed. He says the cost is worth it.

"With this 90% coverage we hope that we will be able to save 5.3 million deaths over the period of next six years. The estimated cost for this - increasing the coverage to 90% of these three interventions - is $39 billion. It looks like a lot but if you look at how many lives are saved and what monies are spent in some of the other places and other areas it doesn't really look like a lot."

The joint plan released on the UN's first World Pneumonia Day aims to reduce child pneumonia deaths by 65%. Close to two million children under the age of five die every year from pneumonia. Almost all of those deaths occur in developing countries.

Gail Walker, United Nations Radio
duration: 1'37"