World Pneumonia Day

Established in 2009, World Pneumonia Day is marked every year on 12 November, which aims to: 

• raise awareness about pneumonia 
• promote interventions to protect against, prevent and treat pneumonia 
• highlight proven approaches and solutions in need of additional resources and attention 
• generate action, including continued donor investment, to combat pneumonia and other common, sometimes deadly, childhood diseases

This year, the Every Breath Counts coalition, comprising of UN agencies, businesses and donors, are calling on high-burden countries to take integrated, multi-sectoral action to reduce air pollution-related pneumonia deaths. The Stop Pneumonia Initiative, which co-ordinates World Pneumonia Day, report that air pollution is the leading risk factor for death from pneumonia across all age groups, with almost a third of all pneumonia deaths attributable to polluted air, killing around 749,200 people in 2019. Household air pollution contributed to 423,000 of these deaths while outdoor air pollution contributed to 326,000.

Further information and resources on World Pneumonia Day are available on the Stop Pneumonia website.