Agartala, December 6, 2025: Pneumonia continues to pose a major health risk for children in India, remaining one of the leading causes of death among those under five. In an effort to combat the disease, Tripura formally launched its state- and district-level initiative under the Social Awareness and Action to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) program on Saturday at the Bhati Abhoynagar Urban Primary Health Centre in West Tripura.
The program was inaugurated by Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor and Tripura MLA Dipak Majumder. Among those present were Mayor-in-Council member Hiralal Debnath, North Zone Chairman Pradip Chanda, National Health Mission (NHM) Mission Director Saju Vaheed A, along with senior officials from the state health department.
Speaking at the event, Mayor Majumder highlighted the persistent lack of health awareness among residents of Agartala. He noted that health workers often face reluctance when visiting households to promote services such as disease diagnosis and child immunization. He assured that if such challenges are reported to elected representatives, the administration will take necessary steps to address them.
Health officials at the program emphasized that pneumonia infections spread most rapidly during winter. The disease, which causes lung infections and breathing difficulties in children, can present symptoms such as cold, cough, fever, rapid breathing, and abnormal respiratory sounds. Parents were urged to seek immediate medical advice if these signs appear.
Doctors further cautioned that malnutrition, exposure to polluted environments, delayed treatment, and weak immunity significantly increase the risk of pneumonia in children under five. Preventive measures such as keeping children warm, avoiding cold environments, maintaining hygiene, and ensuring timely vaccination including pentavalent, PCV, and the PCV booster dose at 9–12 months were strongly recommended.
As part of the launch, seven children were vaccinated against pneumonia, according to a press release issued by the National Health Mission.
