Incidence data of the total paediatric ARI burden (three
to eight episodes per child per year in urban communities
and one to three episodes in rural communities with
most of these being self-limiting viral upper respiratory
infection (URI), the duration of illness, outpatient
burden, and, to a large extent, the frequency of severe
ALRI-related admissions in children are similar between
the developed countries and the resource-poor nations;
however, a tremendous disparity exists between the two
categories of nations with respect to pneumonia-related
deaths.5 The incidence of pneumonia in the Western world
(Europe and North America), has been estimated to be
approx. 36/1000/year. Furthermore, while the pneumonia-
related mortality in the Western world remains
relatively low, global mortality data ascribed 3–4 million
of the 12 million deaths in under-5s to severe ARI, with
pneumonia accounting for more than 75% (WHO, 1992).
A corresponding 2004/06 UNICEF/WHO data however
suggested a significant reduction (from 4 to 1.9 million)
of the global mortality burden of childhood pneumonia
(WHO, 2006). Pneumonia accounted for approximately
one-fifth (19%) of the 2 million deaths with 90% of these
occurring in the developing world; 50% of these deaths
occur in Africa alone.