Pneumonia outbreak in Pakistan: Over 200 children lost, many more at risk

Pakistan's Punjab province has witnessed a tragic toll, with over 200 children succumbing to pneumonia in the past three weeks due to severe cold weather, as confirmed by the provincial government on Friday.

According to the caretaker government in Punjab, the majority of the deceased children had not received pneumonia vaccinations, were malnourished, and had compromised immunity due to inadequate breastfeeding.

Responding to the severity of the situation, the government has imposed a ban on morning assemblies in schools throughout the province until January 31, considering the extreme weather conditions.


Since the beginning of the year, Punjab has reported a staggering 10,520 cases of pneumonia. The 220 fatalities recorded all involve children under the age of five, with Lahore, the provincial capital, witnessing 47 of these tragic deaths.

Mukhtar Ahmed, director of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in Punjab, said babies in Pakistan are usually administered with their first anti-pneumonia vaccine, called PCV, about six weeks after birth.

“From birth till the age of two, the EPI ensures that a baby receives 12 vaccines against different diseases," he said. "Of these, three are to protect children from pneumonia.

“Pneumonia can be caused by both bacteria and virus. Vaccinated children are safe against bacterial infection but they can still be affected by viral pneumonia."

The government has asked the children to wear masks, wash their hands and use warm clothes so that they can be prevented from catching pneumonia.

"Last year 990 children died of pneumonia in Punjab," it said and expressed grave concern over the rise of pneumonia cases among the children in the province.

The government has asked senior doctors to adopt preventive measures to save children from catching pneumonia.

Viral pneumonia diseases are rapidly increasing among children due to an increase in the cold weather and this disease spreads like COVID-19, it said.

Inputs from PTI