PneumoChart

A PneumoChart is a newly invented Child Pneumonia Monitor Chart used by a mother at home and enables her to detect early enough that her child has acquired pneumonia and thereby seek medical assistance before complications develop.

Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of deaths of children under 5 years and these deaths are most in developing countries. These deaths are due to various factors among which unawareness of mothers AbOUT the signs and symptoms of pneumonia and delayed/late seeking of medical assistance for children are major. Therefore, the PneumoChart which is a pure maternal tool will enable mothers to detect acquisition of pneumonia by their children early enough.

The PneumoChart has been invented in October, 2014 in Uganda by a medical student called Nanyeenya Nicholus in Makerere University College Of Health Sciences with a broad objective of reducing childhood morbidity and mortality caused by pneumonia through equipping mothers with a tool that will enable them to be aware of the signs and symptoms of pneumonia, detect it early and seek for medical assistance before the deadly Pneumonia can develop complications.

It is a booklet of 25 pages printed in different local languages, with the first 5 pages containing simplified information and illustrations about pneumonia and the following 20 pages having each a checklist of the various signs and symptoms of pneumonia. Each sign and symptom has a mark for example both fever and cough each has 1 mark while the other signs and symptoms each has 2 marks. When the child is feeling unwell, the mother gets her chart and begins to cross mark. A total of 2 marks or above means that the mother should quickly rush her child to the health centre. However a total of 1 mark of above in a child with a chronic illness like HIV/AIDS or Sickle cell anaemia means that the mother should take the child to the health centre immediately.

The PneumoChart is currently undergoing numerous researches and evaluations to determine its competence in assisting mothers to early enough detect acquisition of pneumonia by their children.