Sri Vijaya Puram, Nov. 11: Childhood Pneumonia continues to be the topmost infectious killer among under five children, contributing to 17.50 percent of under-five deaths in India. SAANS (Social Awareness & Action to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully) Campaign from November 12, 2024 to February 28, 2025 will ensure health system strengthening and community awareness towards childhood pneumonia. The SAANS Campaign 2024-25 will carry the tagline ‘Pneumonia nahi, toh bachpan sahi’ which clearly establishes the positive impact of a Pneumonia Free Childhood.

World Pneumonia Day will be observed on 12th November, 2024 with the aim to accelerate action against Childhood Pneumonia by generating awareness on protection, prevention and treatment aspects, to enhance early identification and care seeking behaviours (management) among parents and caregivers; and also to promote Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) and awareness generation on indoor and outdoor pollution. SAANS (Social Awareness & Action to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully) campaign will create awareness & mobilize community towards increased adoption of health promotive behaviors and practices for Pneumonia Protection, Prevention and Treatment which will intensify the action for reducing mortality due to childhood pneumonia in India to less than 3 per thousand live births by 2025.

Meanwhile, the general public have been requested to extend their co-operation to ANMs and ASHAs during community approach for early identification of cases of childhood pneumonia and early management of Pneumonia in under-five children.