Navigating the Complexities of Pneumonia

As we step into a new year filled with hope and aspirations, it is crucial to consider our well-being. While we are making resolutions and embracing fresh starts, it is also essential to stay informed about emerging health concerns that might affect us. In this edition, we explore a critical health issue affecting millions worldwide – pneumonia.?

Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) depict a stark reality: pneumonia kills more children than any other infectious disease globally. It claims over 700,000 lives among children under five each year, illustrating the urgency to comprehend and address this respiratory illness.??

To understand more about this critical health issue, we have interviewed Dr. Anand Kumar, a renowned pulmonologist from India who shares valuable insights into the strategies for battling pneumonia in India. Dr. Kumar also emphasizes timely vaccination and stresses the importance of appropriate antibiotic use to combat antibiotic resistance.?

Read full interview here: https://www.decodemr.com/post/interview-62?

Unraveling Antimicrobial Resistance and Confronting Childhood Pneumonia in India?

Presented here are the informative articles offering insights into the burden of childhood pneumonia and antimicrobial resistance in India, covering aspects such as incidence, risk factors, and prospects for controlling childhood pneumonia. Additionally, they highlight contributing factors responsible for worsening antimicrobial resistance and strategies to reduce it in the Indian healthcare system.

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The Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Indian Healthcare System

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) annual report of 2021 found that Klebsiella pneumoniae's susceptibility to imipenem has decreased from 65% in 2016 to 43% in 2021, while Escherichia coli's susceptibility to imipenem has decreased from 86% in 2016 to 64% in 2021. This ICMR report also found that isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae that are resistant to carbapenems were also resistant to other antimicrobials, making it difficult to treat carbapenem-resistant infections. In addition, they found that in 87.5% of study participants, Acinetobacter baumannii infections were resistant to the broad-spectrum antimicrobial carbapenem, reducing the number of available treatment choices. Similarly, a study by Sharma et al. found that the sensitivity of Klebsiella pneumoniae to meropenem decreased from 15% in 2018 to 2.5% in 2022, while the sensitivity of Klebsiella to colistin decreased from 96% in 2018 to 28% in 2022. Read More

The burden of childhood pneumonia in India and prospects for control

Since the health-care system in India is primarily administered by the 36 states and union territories, subnational policies and investments are fundamental to health outcomes. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have among the highest per-capita health expenditure in India, although these states are not the most affluent. The number of health-care workers per 100?000 population in 2001, was substantially higher in Kerala (394) and Tamil Nadu (223) than Bihar (110) and Uttar Pradesh (135). Additionally, disparities in public health services between rural and urban areas are the lowest in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. By contrast, childhood mortality varies markedly between rural and urban areas in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The availability of health care also affects the likelihood that people will seek care for pneumonia. Read More???