Breath of life as project supplies oxygen to fight pneumonia

The persistent cough of her one-and-a-half year old son Mathew had been hidden as a seasonal flu. But Dr Tabitha Mwangi, a lecturer at Pwani University, missed signs of pneumonia, a disease rated as top killer of children under five years in East Africa.

“He was not himself. I imagined before that a child with pneumonia would be coughing and spluttering and doing something dramatic but he was not,” says Dr Mwangi.

But when her son turned pale and became withdrawn, she knew it was a silent disease and when they checked into hospital, nothing prepared her for the diagnosis that the toddler had pneumonia.

Dr Mwangi was helpless after she saw Mathew surrounded by emergency medical staff. “He was immediately put on oxygen and was given intravenous antibiotics. They also used a nebuliser frequently and one of the health workers massaged his chest while holding him titled downwards to try and drain the fluid in his chest,” she recounts the events seven years ago.

Today, when Dr Mwangi is not lecturing, she creates awareness on pneumonia especially talking to mothers on signs to watch out for and the importance of seeking treatment.

“I almost lost a child to this disease - it went very quickly from nothing to admission to hospital. So many children die and parents may be blamed for not taking them to hospital early enough but the disease moved very fast,” she said.

It’s rather scary, she added. That Matthew is alive today as an alert and vibrant child, Mwangi does not take it for granted and regrets that hundreds of children with pneumonia are not lucky enough to get timely and accurate diagnosis and treatment.

“Things would have been harder if he had been taken to a hospital that for example had run out of oxygen and they had none in store or a shortage of antibiotics,” she said.

To bridge this gap, the Centre for Public Health and Development was a fortnight ago recognised by the United Nations for efforts to bridge treatment options by ensuring a steady supply of medical oxygen, a critical aspect of pneumonia treatment.

Under the ‘Hewa Tele’ (Abundant air) Project at Siaya District Hospital, this health-based organisation was one of 10 pacesetters cited as a revolutionary innovation to beat pneumonia at the inaugural Pneumonia Innovations Summit at the UN headquarters in Nairobi.

CPHD executive chair Bernard Olayo told The Standard on Saturday that the project was driven by the need for a reliable oxygen supply network in most health facilities especially at the counties.

“Conditions such as severe pneumonia may obstruct lungs in a way that significantly decreases oxygen’s ability to efficiently save a life,” Dr Olayo said adding that the project is supported by GE Foundation.

Critically ill children

As per World Health Organisation (WHO) protocol, treatment for this respiratory disease should focus on making sure every sick child accesses the right kind of care and can get antibiotics and oxygen needed to get well. Hewa Tele seeks to ensure health facilities are self-sufficient in oxygen production and supply.

According to Dr Olayo, every 20 seconds a child dies of pneumonia and called for availability of oxygen in health facilities countrywide.

“When oxygen runs out of stock, critically ill patients are referred to the nearest hospital with oxygen, and many times these facilities are not near enough to save lives,” he said. Now, critically ill children at lower level facilities are getting the oxygen they need, when they need it, he noted.

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a common lung infection caused by bacteria, a virus or fungi and its symptoms can vary from mild to severe. According to WHO, Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide, killing 15 out of every 100 children less than five years.

While some cases of pneumonia can be treated effectively with antibiotics, giving oxygen is another option to save pneumonia patients especially newborns however; many health facilities do not have reliable oxygen equipment.

Oxygen concentrators and devices that measure oxygen levels in blood are needed in versions better suited for diverse conditions.

Besides treatment for pneumonia, Dr Olayo noted that oxygen is essential during surgery.

Some common symptoms of pneumonia in children and infants include rapid or difficult breathing, cough, fever, chills, headaches, loss of appetite and wheezing.

And in a three-pronged approach, the WHO advocates protecting, preventing and treating pneumonia.

Some preventive strategies include exclusive breastfeeding, adequate complementary feeding, vaccination, hand washing with soap, reducing household air pollution and HIV prevention for HIV-infected and exposed children.

Hewa Tele project has ensured a steady supply of oxygen to Siaya and Kisumu counties for the last one year with plans to expand the initiative in other locations  to cover Kakamega, Bungoma and Baringo counties, that record high pneumonia deaths compared to others countrywide, Dr Olayo added.

He said other sustainable life-saving strategies include encouraging safer surgery initiatives like training registered nurses and clinical officers, equipping facilities with surgical and anesthesia equipment to reduce on mothers and child mortality.