Nawanshahr - Under the chairmanship of Civil Surgeon Dr. Jaspreet Kaur, Civil Surgeon Office, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar conducted a district level capacity building training for effective implementation of “Social Awareness and Action to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SANS)” program in the district on Friday. In which District Nodal Officer cum District Immunization Officer Dr. Mandeep Kamal, Medical Officers of various Health Blocks, Community Health Officers and LH VJ participated.
Civil surgeon Dr. Jaspreet Kaur said that deaths due to pneumonia can be prevented if it is diagnosed and treated on time. Although the child mortality rate in Punjab is lower than other parts of the country, still the District Health Department, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar is striving to ensure complete health protection of children. Breast milk in the first 6 months, complementary feeding, vitamin-A supplement, increasing coverage of PCV vaccine, hand washing and reducing indoor air pollution and timely treatment are needed to protect children from pneumonia. He further said that by adopting this program, the death rate of children up to five years of age can be reduced in the district. He said that 15 percent of children under the age of five die in the country due to pneumonia. Early detection and treatment of pneumonia can reduce child mortality.
So this program is very important. Under this programme, a target has been set to reduce the number of deaths due to pneumonia to less than 3 per 1000 live children in the under-five age group by the year 2025. On this occasion, District Immunization Officer Dr. Mandeep Kamal said that pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) was also included in the national immunization program to protect children under five years of age from pneumonia. On this occasion, Dr. Harpinder Singh Paediatrician, District Hospital Nawanshahr said that PCV vaccine prevents the spread of disease bacteria. Pneumococcal is a group of diseases caused by bacteria, which mostly affects young children. Children affected by this disease usually get affected by pneumococcal pneumonia. Their lungs start burning and water fills them. Due to this disease, there is cough and there is also difficulty in breathing. These symptoms can even prove to be life-threatening.
He said that the highest risk of severe pneumococcal disease occurs in the first year of life, but it persists up to 24 months. Its common symptoms include fever, pain and discharge from the ears, nasal congestion and discharge from the nose, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and chest congestion, seizures, neck stiffness, shock, etc.
District Epidemiologist Dr Rakesh Pal, Syamaveda Devi, District Group Education and Information Officer Daljit Singh, Block Extension Educator Vikas Virdi and other health officials and employees were present on this occasion.