ONE Disease:
Pneumonia. You probably know it as a spelling-bee challenge and respiratory illness that can make you very sick. Millions of people in the US are affected each year by pneumonia, but did you know that it is one of the leading killers of children under the age of 5 around the world? Few people know the dramatic impact pneumonia has on children growing up in the poorest countries.
TWO Solutions:
The United Nations Foundation is all about finding simple solutions to solve global problems – for pneumonia, we work on two solutions to combat this deadly disease: immunization and clean cookstoves. Pneumonia accounts for 18 percent of child deaths in developing countries. By increasing access to global vaccines, we can save the lives of millions of children. Shot@Life is working to build a movement in the U.S. to support the work of implementing partners like the GAVI Alliance, UNICEF and the World Health Organization that are delivering vaccines to the children who need them most. This December, GAVI will begin a vaccine rollout to protect 1.8 million children from pneumonia in Tanzania. But you don’t have to be a health worker to help. This week, our partners Mocha Moms are kicking off the holiday season with events across the country to raise awareness about preventable diseases like pneumonia.
Last year on World Pneumonia Day, actress and Ambassador to the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, Julia Roberts released a statement raising awareness about the deadly effects of this disease around the world, even through the simple, common act of cooking. Harmful smoke from traditional cookstoves and open fires kills 2 million people every year – about half of whom are young children who die from acute lower respiratory infections, most commonly pneumonia. The Alliance works with more than 400 public, private and non-profit partners to facilitate the adoption of clean stoves and fuels in millions of homes in developing countries. Clean cooking solutions that can dramatically reduce exposure to smoke that causes pneumonia exist. You can help us spread awareness about this issue and the solution…because cooking shouldn’t kill.
THREE Ways YOU Can Help:
Please join us in recognizing World Pneumonia Day on Monday, November 12.
- Add your voice to the Shot@Life movement. Together, we can give every child a healthy shot at life, no matter where they live.
- Let others know that cooking shouldn’t kill. Help the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves draw attention to the dangers of inefficient cookstoves and pneumonia.
- Learn more about the Pneumonia Coalition action http://worldpneumoniaday.org/