ISLAMABAD: While the World Pneumonia Day is being observed today (Tuesday), the disease claims the lives of over 800,000 children every year.

The situation in Pakistan is worsening due to the deteriorating air quality caused by smog.

This was stated by Dr Irfan Habib, Medical Director at ChildLife Foundation. He said the effects of climate change had made conditions like pneumonia harder to control, especially in urban areas with extreme pollution levels.

He said working under public-private partnership with the government was addressing this health crisis, treating two million children annually through its 13 pediatric emergency rooms (ERs) and over 300 telemedicine satellite centres.

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He said impact of climate change and environmental crisis such as the current smog emergency on child health was severe in Pakistan.

“Climate change is exacerbating air pollution and causing severe respiratory issues, making children even more vulnerable to diseases like pneumonia, a leading cause of preventable child deaths,” he said.

In response to the dual challenge of pneumonia and climate change-driven health threats, Dr Habib said collaborative efforts to protect the environment and reduce pollution were essential to safeguarding the well-being of children and preventing diseases like pneumonia from becoming more widespread.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2024