​Childhood pneumonia, characterised by fever, chills, cough and rapid breathing, is a leading cause of deaths in children under 5 globally. In 2008, it accounted for 1·6 million deaths worldwide and in Pakistan alone, 84,210 deaths or one-fifth of the total number of deaths in children younger than 5.

“We found that with training, public sector LHWs in Pakistan are able to satisfactorily diagnose and treat severe pneumonia at home in rural Pakistan,” says Professor  Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, head of the Division of Women and Child Health at AKU and principal investigator of the study. “This strategy might effectively reach children with pneumonia in settings where referral is difficult, and it could be a key component of community detection and management strategies for childhood pneumonia in similar populations.” This study covered a representative rural population in Sindh where this disease is quite prevalent. It could also apply to Balochistan and the Punjab where high rates of pneumonia can still be found in the rural areas.

The findings also validate a parallel trial (with a similar study design), carried out in the north of Pakistan, in Haripur district by Save the Children US with the support of USAID and WHO. The results of these two recent studies have prompted the researchers to recommend a thorough review of the national LHW programme curriculum for pneumonia detection and treatment and a phased introduction of community-based management of severe pneumonia into the LHW programme in all provinces.

Media contact:

Rida Turabi, Senior Media Executive, Department of Public Affairs, Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, Karachi, on +92 21 3486 2931 or rida.turabi@aku.edu