NEUMONÍAS EN NIÑOS EN EL PERÚ: TENDENCIAS EPIDEMIOLÓGICAS, INTERVENCIONES Y AVANCES

Pneumonia remains the leading cause of death in young children worldwide. We provide an overview of the burden of this disease through the years in Perú and the preventive and management strategies implemented to overcome this public health challenge. In Perú, recent data shows a clear reduction of the incidence and mortality of pneumonia in children since 2000 with a 33% mean decline in the following two years. Specific public health strategies started in 1987 directed towards risk factors prevention, strengthening clinical diagnosis and providing antibiotic treatment at no cost for severe pneumonia. In attempts to control the principal etiologic agents of bacterial pneumonia, protection against H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae was included in the vaccination program since 1998 and 2008 respectively. Studies in 2006 show that viral etiology in 55% and bacterial in 21%, Respiratory sincytial virus and S. pneumoniae were the most common viral and bacterial pathogens identified. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effect of strategies.