Health Issues in Africa
Lower Respiratory Infections and Childhood Pneumonia
Lower respiratory infections were the leading single cause of death in Africa in 2021, accounting for 8.6% of all deaths. Pneumonia is the leading post-neonatal infectious killer of children.
8.6%
of all African deaths (2021)
WHO
#1
single cause of death in Africa
WHO, 2021
↓ Slowly declining
Burden
LRIs were the leading single cause of death in Africa in 2021, accounting for 8.6% of all deaths. Pneumonia is the leading post-neonatal infectious killer of children aged 1–59 months.
Affected Populations
- Children under five
- The elderly
- People with HIV
- Malnourished populations
- Peri-urban areas with indoor air pollution
Drivers
- Household air pollution
- Low PCV coverage gaps
- Undernutrition
- Low oxygen and antibiotic access at primary care
- HIV co-infection
“Pneumonia and malaria together account for nearly one third of under-five deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.”WHO