Recognizing the scourge of pneumonia, urging the United States and the world to mobilize cooperation and focus resources to fight pneumonia and save children's lives, and recognizing November 2 as World Pneumonia Da.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today in support of H. Res. 863, ``Recognizing the scourge of pneumonia, urging the United States and the world to mobilize cooperation and prioritize resources to fight pneumonia and save children's lives, and recognizing November 2 as World Pneumonia Day''. I would like to thank my colleague, Representative Shea-Porter, for introducing this resolution, as well as the co-sponsors.

As co-chair of the Congressional Children's Caucas, this legislation is very important to me. Pneumonia kills an estimated 4,000,000 people every year--one child every 15 seconds. According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, more children die of pneumonia more than any other illness, burying more each year than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined. More than 15,000,000 episodes of pneumonia occur every year among children under the age of five in developing countries, accounting for more than 95 percent of all new cases worldwide. Of the 8,800,000 children under the age of five who die every year, up to 2,000,000 die from pneumonia.

An estimated 26 percent of neonatal deaths within the first month after birth are caused by severe infections, including pneumonia; these deaths occur primarily in the world's poorest countries. For every child who dies of pneumonia in an industrialized country, more than 2,000 children die of pneumonia in poor countries.

Pneumonia is a preventable and treatable problem; more than 1,000,000 lives could be saved each year through prevention and treatment, and many childhood pneumonia deaths can be prevented with early diagnosis. Immunizing children against measles, whooping cough, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and pneumococcus could cut the rate of severe pneumonia in half. In developing countries, studies indicate that only one in four caregivers know the two key symptoms of pneumonia, fast and difficult breathing, which indicate that a child should be treated immediately.

Despite all that can be done to prevent the disease, less than one- third of children suffering from pneumonia in the developing world receive antibiotics available for less than $1. Health professionals agree that prevention and treatment of pneumonia must be a priority in broader, coordinated child survival strategies, requiring a three- pronged program of protection, prevention, and treatment.

The Millennium Development Goals--which the United States, in its wisdom, has pledged to support--call on us to continue our efforts to prevent and treat childhood pneumonia, and to reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the mortality rate of children under the age of five. That is why I join this esteemed body in affirming its commitment to international child survival and development programs that prioritize protection, prevention, and treatment against pneumonia; as well as reaffirming the United States' commitment to reaching the Millennium Development Goals, particularly for reducing child mortality.

It is also why I join the House in saluting the health professionals and community health workers on the front lines in the world's poorest countries who are extending preventative care and treatment to children most at risk of contracting pneumonia. And it is why, with this resolution, we recognize World Pneumonia Day.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 863) recognizing the scourge of pneumonia, urging the United States and the world to mobilize cooperation and prioritize resources to fight pneumonia and save children's lives, and recognizing November 2 as World Pneumonia Day, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The United States has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to reducing child mortality. We have endorsed the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, one of which is to reduce by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015 the under 5 mortality rate.

We know about the scourge of hunger and the disastrous impacts of diseases like AIDS, malaria, and measles on children around the world. But many people are not aware of that more children die of pneumonia than anything else. Every 15 seconds, a child dies from pneumonia, about 2 million children each year.

It is estimated that more than 150 million episodes of pneumonia occur every year among children under the age of 5 in developing countries, accounting for more than 95 percent of all new cases worldwide. Yet pneumonia is preventable; it is a treatable illness. A life can be saved with antibiotics that cost less than a dollar. It is really outrageous that we have the ability to save lives and we don't because the money is not used for it.

Sadly, according to UNICEF, fewer than 20 percent of children suffering from pneumonia receive these antibiotics which they so desperately need. Despite the fact that pneumonia kills more children under 5 than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined, it has received far less attention and funding than any of them.

Pneumonia can be treated if recognized and diagnosed early. Yet fewer than 25 percent of caregivers in the developing world are trained to identify the two telltale symptoms of pneumonia: fast and difficult breathing.

To raise awareness of these distressing statistics and to build support for addressing the problem, World Pneumonia Day is recognized annually on November 2. That was yesterday. And yesterday, organizations and countries across the globe joined forces in support of the first-ever World Pneumonia Day.

I am proud to report in New York City where I live, more than 100 leaders

in science, politics, and global health, including the Earth Institute of Columbia University, convened a Global Pneumonia Summit.

The resolution before us, H. Res. 863, reaffirms our commitment into national child survival and development programs that focus on protection, prevention, and treatment of pneumonia.

I commend the distinguished gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea- Porter) for introducing this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter).

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen and their staffs for their support and work on this resolution. It is important for the House of Representatives to recognize the devastating toll that pneumonia takes on children around the world, and I am proud that we are considering this resolution today.

Yesterday marked the first annual World Pneumonia Day. Almost 100 global health organizations joined together to bring awareness to this terrible disease. The world's leading killer of children, pneumonia, is undernoticed, underfunded, and undertreated. This disease kills 4 million people each year, 2 million of them children. It takes the lives of more children under the age of 5 than measles, AIDS, and malaria combined. Every 15 seconds, a child dies of pneumonia.

The horror of this disease is that it is so preventable and treatable. Consider these facts:

Studies in developing countries indicate that only one in four caregivers know the two key symptoms of pneumonia: fast and difficult breathing. This leads to pneumonia going untreated, which is deadly;

Fewer than one-third of the children who develop pneumonia receive the antibiotics they need to fight the illness, even though the antibiotics are available for less than a dollar. Half of the cases of pneumonia that occur could be prevented by ensuring that these children have access to the vaccines they need.

Mr. Speaker, these facts paint a bleak picture. Millions of lives are being lost each year when they could be saved. They could be saved by international cooperation to educate and train caregivers. They could be saved if people could have access to the vaccines and medications they need.

My resolution affirms this body's commitment to saving these lives by supporting programs that focus on the protection, prevention, and treatment of pneumonia. It commends the health professionals across the globe who every day work in the world's poorest countries to treat and care for the victims of pneumonia. And it reaffirms the United States' commitment to reducing child mortality. Finally, this resolution recognizes World Pneumonia Day. In doing so, the House of Representatives joins with dozens of global health organizations working to raise the awareness of this disease and to focus resources on protection, prevention, and treatment.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to encourage international cooperation to combat this disease. Lives can and should be saved. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I missed votes today, Wednesday, November 4, 2009. If I were present, I would have voted:

``Yea'' on rollcall 841, On Ordering the Previous Question, Providing for consideration of H.R. 3639, Expedited CARD Reform for Consumers Act of 2009; ``aye'' on rollcall 842, On Agreeing to the Resolution, Providing for consideration of H.R. 3639, Expedited CARD Reform for Consumers Act of 2009; ``yea'' on rollcall 843, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H. Res. 858--Congratulating the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) on its 40th anniversary and recognizing its significant accomplishments and contributions; ``yea'' on rollcall 844, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H. Res. 839--Condemning the illegal extraction of Madagascar's natural resources; ``aye'' on rollcall 845, On agreeing to the Hensarling Amendment to H.R. 3639; ``aye'' on rollcall 846, On agreeing to the McCarthy Amendment to H.R. 3639; ``aye'' on rollcall 847, On agreeing to the Maffei Amendment to H.R. 3639; ``aye'' on rollcall 848, On agreeing to the Sutton Amendment Number 4 to H.R. 3639; ``aye'' on rollcall 849, On agreeing to the Sutton Amendment Number 5 to H.R. 3639; ``no'' on rollcall 850, On Motion to Recommit with Instructions to H.R. 3639; ``aye'' on rollcall 851, On Final Passage of H.R. 3639, the Expedited CARD Reform for Consumers Act of 2009; ``yea'' on rollcall 852, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree, as Amended H. Res. 863, Recognizing the scourge of pneumonia, urging the United States and the world to mobilize cooperation and prioritize resources to fight pneumonia and save children's lives, and recognizing November 2 as World Pneumonia Day; ``yea'' on rollcall 853, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree, as Amended H. Res. 641, Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the founding of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; ``yea'' on rollcall 954, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree, as Amended H. Res. 711, Calling on the United States Government and the international community to address the human rights and humanitarian needs of Sri Lanka's Tamil internally displaced persons (IDP's); ``yea'' on rollcall 855, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. 856, Recognizing the Commissioning of the USS New York LPD 21.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of this resolution. Pneumonia is the leading cause of death among children worldwide. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that pneumonia kills approximately 1.8 million children every year under the age of 5. Most of those deaths occur in impoverished areas of countries in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where infants are particularly vulnerable.

Ironically, despite its tremendous negative impact on child survival, pneumonia is actually a preventable and treatable illness. It is a tragedy that a treatable disease still causes so much pain and suffering around the world. It also is an illness that does not receive enough attention, despite the fact that among children, it can be addressed quite impressibly through prevention and low-cost medical approaches.

In developing countries, for example, only one in five caregivers know how to recognize the key symptoms of the onset of pneumonia. As a result, half the children who are infected with pneumonia quite simply do not receive timely or adequate medical treatment and care. It is, therefore, possible to increase the rates of child survival by educating caregivers on the key symptoms of pneumonia and by broadening children's access to inexpensive antibiotics, among other things.

The World Health Organization reports that the number of lives saved could be more than doubled if such prevention and treatment interventions were universally delivered.

Mr. Speaker, reducing the occurrence of pneumonia is a critical step towards reducing child mortality. This resolution reaffirms our commitment to child survival through prevention and treatment of childhood pneumonia.

Finally, this resolution also commends those health care professionals who are serving on the front lines of this illness and recognizes November 2 as World Pneumonia Day.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.