Easy to treat Pneumonia killed more Kenyans than malaria

Pneumonia has killed more Kenyans than malaria in the past one year, a survey has shown.

In fact, the acute respiratory infection, killed 22,473 Kenyans last year, up from 21,640 in 2013, with the major fatalities among children under five years.

The elderly and people whose immunity is compromised are also very vulnerable to the disease.

According to the 2016 Economic Survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, these deaths were higher than those from Malaria (20,691), HIV (11,311), tuberculosis (10,183) and Anaemia (8,472).

CLEAN ENERGY SOURCES

The survey showed that people who smoke indoors, use kerosene, animal waste, charcoal and wood fuel for lighting and cooking— especially in rural Kenya— are likely to die from pneumonia which is caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi entering the lungs.

Counties prone to the disease are those in the Central, Nairobi, Kisii, and Nyanza, according to the acting Director of Medical Services Jack Kioko.

The solution to the disease, other than vaccination in children, according to Health Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri, lies in cleaner energy sources.

“By adopting solar energy and use of electricity, the chance of indoor pollution will be greatly reduced. Currently, the government under the rural electrification programme, seeks to have seven in 10 Kenyans connected to electricity by 2017,” Dr Muraguri told Nation.

He said it was unfortunate that Kenyans were dying from a disease that is “easy to treat”.

“Treatment is based on how soon the disease is realised especially among children. The medication ranges from about Sh100 up to Sh3,000 and all facilities in the country can diagnose and treat it,” he added.

Diagnosis of the disease is based on the symptoms which include rapid but difficult breathing, cough, fever, headaches, loss of appetite, wheezing, and fever.

Some children’s skin colour might turn blue-black because of lack of oxygen.

Healthcare workers also count the number of breaths per minute, and observe whether a child is sucking their chest under the rib cage, which suggests they are struggling to breathe.

The disease can be quickly be diagnosed by a device called the pulse oximetry that clips onto the finger to measure oxygen in the blood because pneumonia triggers low oxygen levels based on a 2014 study in the science journal Nature.

Using the kit can prevent 148,000 pneumonia deaths in the under-fives, in countries where the disease is most prominent, the study adds.