India records the highest number of child pneumonia deaths globally, but is among the only four of the 15 countries with the highest child pneumonia death toll that is yet to introduce the newest generation of pneumoccal vaccines.

A Pneumonia progress report, 2011, released by the International Access Vaccine Centre (IVAC) and John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health on Wednesday shows that India recorded 3.71 lakh child pneumonia deaths in 2008, but till 2010 had "not introduced" the HIB vaccine against pneumonia.

It had also not taken "any action" to introduce PCV10 and PCV - the newest-generation of pneumococcal vaccines. The report says last year alone, 10 of the 15 countries have either introduced PCV10 or PCV13, have been approved for introduction, or have applied to the GAVI Alliance for introduction support.

It is estimated that by 2013, 11 of the 15 countries will have introduced the pneumococcal vaccines in their national immunization programmes. India is among the four countries that haven't taken much action. Together, these 15 countries account for approximately 75% of the global toll of child pneumonia.

The report says in India, while 69% of children suspected to have pneumonia were taken to a health facility, only 13% were administered antibiotics.

Feeding infants only breast milk in the first six months of life is a key protection intervention highlighted in the report. Breast milk alone provides all of the essential nutrients babies need to thrive and grow. Exclusive breastfeeding has multiple positive effects, and chief among them is its ability to bolster an infant's immunity to help combat disease, protecting babies from not only pneumonia but also diarrhoea and other infections.

However, the report says that only 46% of children in India are exclusively breastfed by their mothers in the first six months, which is abysmally low.

It explains, "Pneumonia remains the leading killer of young children around the world, according to the most recent WHO estimates. Every year, pneumonia claims the lives of more than one million children before their fifth birthday - accounting for more young deaths annually than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. In the 15 focus countries alone, an additional half a million more children were vaccinated against pertussis, more than 1 million additional children were vaccinated against measles and about 155,000 more children were vaccinated against HIB pneumonia, as compared to the previous year."

It is estimated that as many as 3-4 million child deaths could be prevented by accelerating pneumococcal vaccines in all developing countries over the next decade.

"However, even more children can be saved from pneumonia if additional gains are made in the following areas "promoting exclusive breastfeeding, recognizing the signs and symptoms of pneumonia early and ensuring proper treatment with antibiotics and limiting exposure to indoor smoke," it adds.

Every four minutes, one child dies of pneumonia-causing diseases in India even before reaching their fifth birthday.

Global toll count

1. India: 371, 605

2. Nigeria: 177, 212

3. Congo: 112, 655

4. Pakistan: 84, 210

5. Afghanistan: 80, 694

6. China: 62, 229