World Pneumonia Day is dedicated to raising awareness globally on pneumonia – an acute infectious respiratory disease that affects both children and adults. It calls upon the world to stand together and take action to fight this disease.

Official Date: November 12

The first World Pneumonia Day was observed in 2009 by Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia, a coalition of more than 100 organizations representing the interests of children. They aimed to shed light on the seriousness of the disease and the need for global attention.

Key Focus Areas

• Garner public attention on the severity of pneumonia.
• Encourage policymakers to take action to prevent and combat the disease.
• Raise awareness on affordable treatment and prevention options against pneumonia.

Top Facts:

• Pneumonia causes more than a million hospitalizations and more than 50,000 deaths each year.
• The disease is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide.
• Pneumonia can have more than 30 different causes including germs, bacteria, viruses, and fungi.