The Forum of International Respiratory Societies Calls for Urgent Action to Expand Access to Pneumonia Prevention and Treatment Worldwide

GLENVIEW, IL - On World Pneumonia Day, November 12, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), of which the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) is a founding member, is calling for urgent action to prevent pneumonia deaths among high-risk groups, particularly children younger than 5 years and older people. New, effective, preventive interventions are available, but these are still inaccessible in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

“New, highly effective interventions to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pneumonia in infants and young children have recently become available and can substantially reduce the burden of childhood pneumonia and mortality,” says Professor Heather Zar, of the Pan African Thoracic Society Executive Committee, a FIRS member. “However, access and affordability in LMICs are crucial to reduce global inequity and promote health for all children, especially as most severe illness occurs in LMICs.”

In 2021, pneumonia claimed the lives of 2,2 million people, including 502,000 (23%) children aged less than 5 years and 152,000 (7%) newborn babies. The pneumonia burden remains unacceptably high, especially as most deaths are preventable. In addition, early life pneumonia may lead to poorer health through life and contribute to the development of chronic respiratory disease in adulthood.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae), or pneumococcus, remains one of the most important bacteria causing pneumonia across age groups, while RSV is a major cause of pneumonia and hospitalization in children and older people. However, there are now effective vaccines for these. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, a highly effective vaccine preventing pneumonia from S. pneumoniae, has been available for more than two decades but is still not accessible to many children in low-income areas. New, highly effective vaccines against RSV are now available. These include vaccines specifically for older adults, a vaccine for pregnant women, and a long-acting antibody to protect infants and young children. However, there is very limited availability of these in LMICs despite the large number of children and older adults developing severe pneumonia in these countries and excellent protection offered by vaccination.

Most deaths occur in the most resource poor populations in LMICs. Key risk factors for pneumonia include air pollution, malnutrition, smoke exposure, HIV infection, and low vaccination rates. For young children, prematurity and lack of breastfeeding are additional risks. Limited access to effective treatment of pneumonia is also a concern, especially in many LMICs, where health care facilities and oxygen systems are often unavailable, particularly for children.

Although pneumonia deaths have substantially declined over the past decade, urgent efforts are still needed to improve access to effective prevention and treatment. On World Pneumonia Day, FIRS is calling on governments and partners to:

• Ensure equitable and sustained access to vaccines against the most common pathogens.

• Ensure access to new, highly effective, preventive interventions against RSV for infants and young children globally.

• Strengthen health systems to deliver interventions which reduce pneumonia deaths, including provision of effective vaccines, antibiotics, and oxygen delivery systems.

• Strengthen national and international commitment to support interventions against the leading risk factors for pneumonia.

• Improve support for research into cost-effective interventions to prevent and treat pneumonia in LMICs.

About the American College of Chest Physicians
The American College of Chest Physicians^® (CHEST) is the global leader in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases. Its mission is to champion advanced clinical practice, education, communication, and research in chest medicine. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 22,000+ members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. For information about the American College of Chest Physicians and its family of journals, including the flagship journal  CHEST^®, visit chestnet.org.

About the Forum of International Respiratory Societies
The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is an organisation comprised of the world's leading international respiratory societies working together to improve lung health globally. The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to improve lung health through the combined work of its more than 70,000 members globally.

FIRS comprises the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), American Thoracic Society (ATS), the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR), Asociación Latinoamericana de Tórax (ALAT), European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS), the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).