The global burden of neonatal pneumonia is huge. Efficientinterventions must be targeted at all levels of the health
services and communities. Unlike for pneumonia in olderinfants and children, where effective interventions against
two bacteria (S pneumonia and H influenzae) will substantially reduce disease prevalence, the aetiology of neonatal pneumonia is more complex. Interventions that will reduce mortality from neonatal pneumonia will be broad based
and have a range of general positive effects: improved maternal health, better management of other common
neonatal conditions, and reduced long term childhood and adult morbidity. Rising rates of resistance to affordable
antibiotics may mean that case fatality rates from neonatal pneumonia will increase in developing countries, emphasising
the need to explore widely applicable preventive and treatment measures.