A total of 232 buildings and monuments from 48 different countries will be illuminated in blue between 9:00 p/m and 10:00 p/m on November 12 in recognition of World Pneumonia Day.
This campaign is launched with the aim of raising awareness and giving visibility to this disease caused by a lung infection, which causes inflammation and accumulation of fluid usually caused by germs, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Pneumonia is the single biggest infectious killer of adults and children – claiming the lives of 2.5 million, including 672,000 children, in 2019.
This year World Pneumonia Day will be held during a global pandemic that is dramatically increasing pneumonia from COVID-19 and other causes. COVID-19 could add 1.9 million to the death toll this year. This could increase ‘all-cause’ pneumonia deaths by more than 75%. No other infection causes this burden of death. Disruptions to healthcare services are estimated to cause up to an additional 2.3 million child deaths – 35% from pneumonia and newborn sepsis.
Although pneumonia is a high incidence disease known to the public, the risk of contracting it is often ignored. Children under 5 years old, people over 60-65 years old and those who previously had chronic pathologies such as diabetes, heart failure, lung disease, are at greatest risk. Thus, it is important, especially in the context of a pandemic, to raise awareness and educate the public about this disease, which can cause serious consequences for those who suffer from it.
The PneumoLight global campaign is organized by a coalition of international health experts, including the Dr. Catia Cilloniz, a researcher at the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Pfizer, Every Breath Counts Coalition, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGLOBAL), the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), and the Spanish Society for Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), among others.
