Game Provides Players with Options to Share Pneumonia Facts through Twitter and Facebook

WESTPORT, Conn. (Nov. 2 , 2009) — On the first-annual World Pneumonia Day today, the global humanitarian organization Save the Children launched a special online quiz game, Mission: Pneumonia, to help people get the facts about childhood pneumonia. Pneumonia, a preventable and easily treatable illness, claims the lives of more children under 5 each year than measles, malaria and AIDS combined.

"Childhood pneumonia is the disease that no one is talking about. In the United States we have vaccines to prevent the illness and antibiotics to treat it. When a child gets ill with pneumonia, he usually recovers," said Mary Beth Powers, chief of Save the Children's Survive to 5 campaign. "But in poor countries, pneumonia is a major killer of young children, especially children living in remote areas, where health care is not available or is located far from a child's home.

"Although childhood pneumonia is a serious issue, we wanted to create a fun and interactive way through Mission: Pneumonia for people of all ages to get involved and make a difference," added Powers.

Players of Mission: Pneumonia are invited to take a 7-level quiz to test their knowledge. As they advance through the game, they are encouraged to take simple actions, such as sharing what they learn with friends and family through twitter and facebook or signing a petition to Congress in support of legislation to expand life-saving health measures to more mothers and children in poor countries.

At the end of each quiz level, players are introduced to community health workers around the world who have been trained through Save the Children programs to diagnose and treat child pneumonia in their community, and to the children they've helped. Many of these community health worker programs are funded through U.S. government investments in global health programs.

"We want to recognize and celebrate these local heroes on World Pneumonia Day," said Powers. "Thanks to the skills and swift actions of thousands of community health workers around the globe, many more babies and toddlers are alive today."

Global health organizations from around the world are joining forces to urge governments to take steps to fight pneumonia. Advocates from six continents are planning activities today to commemorate the first-annual World Pneumonia Day. The Global Coalition Against Childhood Pneumonia, a group of nearly 100 influential global health organizations, including Save the Children and academic institutions, will hold a World Pneumonia Day symposium in New York City.

Save the Children has health programs to treat pneumonia in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Southern Sudan and Zambia. The organization also supports pneumonia prevention programs in many more countries.

Contacts:
Ana Rahona (202) 236-5341
Colleen Sutton (703) 203-7843

Save the Children is the leading independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Save the Children USA is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, a global network of 29 independent Save the Children organizations working to ensure the well-being and protection of children in more than 120 countries. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.