Essay Example on Pneumonia: A Respiratory Disease Killing Children Under 5

Pneumonia is a respiratory disease in which air sacs inflame and fill up with pus and other fluids, thereby making breathing painful, and limiting oxygen intake. The condition is caused by a bacterial infection and kills across age groups. However, it is more prevalent among children under the age of five. According to the World Health Organization (2018), pneumonia accounted for about 16% of all deaths among children under the age of five, claiming approximately 920,130 lives, just in 2015 alone. According to the recommendations of Eldredge et al. (2016), this program will address data from the scope of the globe, and a region (Hawaii State, USA). The scheme will also prepare a comprehensive analysis of the potential issues relating to the disease, both in Hawaii and other parts of the world.

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Pneumonia raises more concern because it is among the diseases that cause most mortalities among children across the globe. In the United States of America, particularly, claims more lives than any other diseases among children under five years old World Health Organization (2018). Consequently, despite efforts that have successfully reduced the prevalence of the disease, there is a need for more insights to make better the measures to put under control the infections and subsequent deaths that result from the disease.

Among all the American states, Hawaii records the highest death rate due to pneumonia, with about 24 deaths per every 100,000 people, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (2016) report. In the entire American population, the rate averaged at 13 deaths per 100,000 persons. The standing, which was constructed based on data collected between 1996 and 2016, was based on age-adjusted death rates associated with pneumonia. Individuals at higher risk of pneumonia infection were identified to be generally adults of 65 years or older. Also, people between the age of 19 and 64 were at high risk if they; had chronic illnesses, smoked cigarettes, had weak immune systems, or if they had cochlear implants or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks. On the other hand, children younger than two years old, or in a group of child care also have a higher risk of pneumonia infection. Certain illnesses like nephrotic syndrome and immune-compromising conditions, certain racial and ethnic groups, and CSF leaks and cochlear implants also increase the chances of children contracting pneumonia.

As per the goals and objectives of Healthy People 2020, the US aims to build a healthier nation; a nation in which people live longer, and live healthy (People, 2016). Ideally, the purpose of Healthy People 2020 is to ensure health equity among populations, eliminate preventable diseases, improve the health of all age groups, and promote quality of life and health behavior across all the stages in a person's life. Pneumonia Prevalence Reduction Program, therefore, will focus on the most vulnerable life stages, as well as the most affected areas, like Hawaii.

The proposed solutions include the total prevention of pneumonia among children in the region. Prevention is the essential constituent of strategies to eradicate the disease. Measures in prevention involve immunizing vulnerable individuals against other diseases like measles, pertussis, and pneumococcus. Nutrition also helps to reduce the chances of the ailment (Leon, Garcia & Castell-Florit, 2016). Adequate nutrition helps to improve a child's natural defense against diseases. In cases where a child is already suffering from the illness or acquires the infection later in life, proper nutrition serves to increase the length of the illness in the child. The program will also promote awareness of the role of environmental factors in eradication pneumonia. Poor hygiene, indoor air pollution, and crowding in homes and other social places are the major environmental factors that can increase the possibility of children falling ill from pneumonia. Therefore, the program will address improved environmental conditions among people as a measure towards containing pneumonia widespread, especially in Hawaii. For children already suffering other diseases like HIV, the program will encourage the taking of antibiotics like cotrimoxazole to suppress the risks of contracting pneumonia.

The proposed solutions to the problem will help the state, and entire America by extension, in various aspects. For instance, engages, and empowers communities by encouraging healthy behaviors. Essentially, empowering communities creates a self-driven social set up where individuals are aware, and strive to achieve common health goals. The solutions will also help to make changes that contribute to reducing the risk factors of the disease. Chances for the success of the program are high, owing to the prevailing situation in relation to health. Regarding the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), efforts are directed towards reducing child mortality, irrespective of their backgrounds, and the cause of such deaths (Leon, Garcia & Castell-Florit, 2016). MDGs also aims to combat diseases like HIV/AIDS and others including pneumonia. Besides the MDGs, Healthy People 2020 is also pushing for better lives across the population. The two frontages both support the initiative of the program. Hence, it is more prone to success than failure.

References

Eldredge, L. K. B., Markham, C. M., Ruiter, R. A., Kok, G., Fernandez, M. E., & Parcel, G. S. (2016). Planning Health Promotion Programs: An Intervention Mapping Approach. John Wiley & Sons.

Kaiser Family Foundation. (2016). State Health Facts.

Leon Cabrera, P., Garcia Milian, A. J., & Castell-Florit Serrate, P. (2016). The Millenium Development Goals and The Sustainable Development Goals in The Cuban Public Health. Revista Cubana De Salud Publica, 42(4), 1-11.

People, H. (2017). Secretary's Advisory Committee on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives For 2020. Healthy People 2020: An Opportunity to Address the Societal Determinants of Health in The United States. 2010 Jul 26.

World Health Organization. (2018). World Health Statistics 2018: Monitoring Health for the SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals.