[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 863 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 863

Recognizing the scourge of pneumonia, urging the United States and the 
    world to mobilize cooperation and prioritize resources to fight 
  pneumonia and save children's lives, and recognizing November 2 as 
                          World Pneumonia Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 23, 2009

 Ms. Shea-Porter (for herself, Ms. McCollum, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Payne, 
   Mr. Courtney, Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of California, Ms. Sutton, Mr. 
Nadler of New York, Mr. Massa, Ms. Schwartz, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. 
Braley of Iowa, Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Carney, Mr. Holt, Mr. Price of North 
Carolina, Mr. Himes, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Visclosky, Mr. Snyder, 
    Ms. Hirono, Ms. Waters, Mr. Perlmutter, Mr. Walz, Mr. Davis of 
Illinois, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Ms. Tsongas, Mr. Murtha, Ms. DeGette, 
Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Yarmuth, Ms. Woolsey, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Hodes, 
   Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Hall of New York, Mrs. 
  Napolitano, Ms. Titus, Ms. Kilroy, Ms. Edwards of Maryland, and Mr. 
Sherman) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the scourge of pneumonia, urging the United States and the 
    world to mobilize cooperation and prioritize resources to fight 
  pneumonia and save children's lives, and recognizing November 2 as 
                          World Pneumonia Day.

Whereas pneumonia kills an estimated 4,000,000 people every year, according to 
        the World Health Organization and UNICEF;
Whereas more than 15,000,000 episodes of pneumonia occur every year among 
        children under the age of five in developing countries, accounting for 
        more than 95 percent of all new cases worldwide;
Whereas of the 8,800,000 children under the age of five who die every year, up 
        to 2,000,000 die from pneumonia;
Whereas pneumonia kills 1 child every 15 seconds;
Whereas pneumonia kills more children than any other illness, burying more each 
        year than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined;
Whereas an estimated 26 percent of neonatal deaths within the first month after 
        birth are caused by severe infections, including pneumonia;
Whereas these deaths occur primarily in the world's poorest countries;
Whereas for every child who dies of pneumonia in an industrialized country, more 
        than 2,000 children die of pneumonia in poor countries;
Whereas pneumonia is a preventable and treatable problem;
Whereas more than 1,000,000 lives could be saved each year through prevention 
        and treatment;
Whereas many childhood pneumonia deaths can be prevented with early diagnosis;
Whereas immunizing children against measles, whooping cough, Haemophilus 
        influenzae type b (Hib), and pneumococcus could cut the rate of severe 
        pneumonia in half;
Whereas in developing countries, studies indicate that only one in four 
        caregivers know the two key symptoms of pneumonia, fast and difficult 
        breathing, which indicate that a child should be treated immediately;
Whereas fewer than \1/3\ of children suffering from pneumonia in the developing 
        world receive antibiotics available for less than $1;
Whereas health professionals agree that prevention and treatment of pneumonia 
        must be a priority in broader, coordinated child survival strategies;
Whereas in the context of child survival strategies, pneumonia control requires 
        a three-prong program of protection, prevention, and treatment;
Whereas preventing and treating childhood pneumonia is critical to reaching the 
        Millennium Development Goals target to reduce by \2/3\, between 1990 and 
        2015, the mortality rate of children under the age of five;
Whereas the United States has endorsed the Millennium Development Goals; and
Whereas World Pneumonia Day is recognized on November 2 annually: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) affirms its commitment to international child survival 
        and development programs that prioritize protection, 
        prevention, and treatment against pneumonia;
            (2) salutes the health professionals and community health 
        workers on the front lines in the world's poorest countries who 
        are extending preventative care and treatment to children most 
        at-risk of contracting pneumonia;
            (3) reaffirms the United States commitment to reaching the 
        Millennium Development Goals, particularly for reducing child 
        mortality; and
            (4) recognizes World Pneumonia Day.
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