Save the Children has called for action to stop the needless deaths of youngsters

A charity has revealed the devastating impact of a deadly disease.

Nearly a million children a year are dying from pneumonia even though it can be treated with antibiotics costing as little as 30p, according to research from Save the Children.

The organisation has published a new report, Fighting for Breath, to mark the launch of its global campaign against pneumonia, which aims to save a million lives in the next five years.

The report shows that pneumonia is responsible for the deaths of more children under five than any other disease. It kills two children every minute - more than malaria, diarrhoea and measles combined.

More than 80% of the victims are children under two years old, many with immune systems weakened by malnutrition or insufficient breastfeeding and unable to fight the infection. Infants are at their most vulnerable in the first weeks of life.

Save the Children is calling for a summit of world leaders to galvanise action and cut the toll from pneumonia.

The agency wants to see cheaper vaccines to prevent pneumonia and more investment in immunisation; governments adopting pneumonia action plans that provide universal access to health workers and partnerships to expand provision of the oxygen needed to help children struggling to breathe.

A course of the antibiotic Amoxicillin that costs 30p can save a child who is suffering from pneumonia in three to five days. But it is not available in many medical facilities in the most affected countries, including Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“This is a disease that leaves desperately vulnerable children fighting for breath and their parents coping with anxiety and, all too often, the grief and trauma that come with loss,” said Kevin Watkins, chief executive of Save the Children UK.

“It is indefensible that we allow so many young lives to be destroyed by a disease we have the knowledge and resources to defeat.”