World Pneumonia Day by the Department of Health

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Pneumonia is indeed a deadly serious disease that has claimed the lives of many individuals, especially children. With their weak immune system and frail bodies, they become easily susceptible to the disease.

Penumonia has become the number 1 killer of children under the age of five - even  claimed more lives than AIDS, tubercolosis, and malaria combined.

They say that many of these children do not even reach the age of five or their 5th birthday.

It is so sad that pneumonia is preventable yet many still die form the disease.

We were invited to join the movement against Pneumonia at the World Pneumonia Day event held at the Summit Ridge hotel in Tagaytay city.

 

The council for the World Pneumonia Day declared a call for action, where support for local health care workers and solutions such as encouraging breastfeeding, education on sanitation practices, and good nutrition should be introduced.. Medical interventions such as immunizing babies as early as 6 weeks old with the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines have also been found as crucial to preventing pneumonia deaths.

Dr. Enriques Tayag from the Department of Health(DOH) was present at the event and gave some dance numbers for the people in attendance at the event. It is observing the 5th annual World Pneumonia Day through a celebratory dance event led by the "dancing doctor".

There was also a  huge cake representing the 5th annual event that was shown and displayed to the public. Many of the event attendees had some photo ops with both the cake and Dr. Tayag.

The event was organized by the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV) headed by its executive Director Dr. Lulu Bravo, and its president, Dr. May Montellano -coinciding also with the PFV's commemoration of its 14th Philippines National Immunization Conference.