Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in children

Pneumonia kills 1.4 million children under the age of five every year – more than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. This disease can be treated with antibiotics, but only about 32% of children with pneumonia receive the antibiotics they need. Pneumonia can be prevented by immunization, adequate nutrition and by addressing environmental factors.

Children should all be able to achieve their optimal physical growth and psychological development.

The future of human societies depends on children being able to achieve their optimal physical growth and psychological development. Never before has there been so much knowledge to assist families and societies in their desire to raise children to meet their potential.

7.6 million under-five children died in 2010. The risk of death is highest closest to birth and then decreases over the subsequent days, months, and years. For example about 3.1 million deaths, or 40% of all under-five deaths, occurred during the first 28 days after birth, and 2.4 million deaths in the following 11 months, meaning that 5.6 million deaths (71% of all under-five deaths) happened within the first year of life. Roughly the same number of deaths that took place between 1-11 months of age, also occurred over the next four-year age period (2.2 million).

HIV/AIDS affects the health and welfare of children and undermines hard-won gains in child survival in some of the highly-affected countries. The Manual on paediatric HIV care and treatment for district hospitals aims to help improve clinical skills among health workers in resource-limited settings. It is intended for use by doctors, middle-level practitioners such as clinical officers and senior nurses in the management of HIV-exposed and -infected infants and children at district hospital levels.