Browsing: pneumonia

In a concerning statistic emerging from Malaysia, almost 100,000 individuals succumbed prematurely to various non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in 2022, falling short of the national average life expectancy of 75 years.  The primary culprits behind these early deaths were heart and cerebrovascular diseases, along with pneumonia, underscoring a pressing health crisis in the country.

Medical Channel Asia presents the weekly Asian medical news bulletin, bringing you essential healthcare news from across the region. This week’s bulletin covers the Philippines’ and Indonesia’s response to the rising respiratory cases in China, HIV in Malaysia and more. 

The alarming statistics from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) for 2022 revealed that pneumonia ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the country. In a recent discussion, experts underscored the critical importance of vaccination as a proactive measure to reduce the risk of contracting pneumonia. Pneumonia continues to be a significant cause of mortality, particularly among older adults and individuals with chronic diseases.

Recent data from the Jakarta Health Agency revealed an uptick in Acute Respiratory Infections (ISPA) post-pandemic cases. The agency reported approximately 146,000 ISPA cases monthly this year. Interestingly, while this is higher than the pandemic period, it’s still consistent with the numbers from 2018 and 2019.

The pneumococcal vaccine lowers the risk of being infected with pneumococcal disease, a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.…