KABUL (Pajhwok): Doctors are warning that with the onset of cold weather, respiratory illnesses—particularly pneumonia—is on the rise among children. They are advising families to avoid self-medicating children with pneumonia and to seek immediate medical attention by taking affected children to health centers. Dr.
Saifullah Rastin, a pediatric internal medicine specialist at the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital in Kabul, told Pajhwok Afghan News that respiratory diseases, including pneumonia, increase annually as the cold weather sets in. He explained that pneumonia is a contagious respiratory infection, and its early symptoms include fever, difficulty breathing, and wheezing. As the disease progresses, children may have trouble swallowing and may cough up mucus from their throats.
Dr. Rastin highlighted that millions of children under the age of five in developing countries die each year due to pneumonia. He noted that the number of pneumonia cases at his hospital is on the rise, with about 30 children seeking treatment daily, and nearly half of them requiring hospitalization.
He emphasized that pneumonia is contagious and recommended that children with the disease be isolated from others. He added that while children with mild cold symptoms can often be managed with proper care at home, any child suspected of having pneumonia should be taken to a health center as soon as possible, as the disease can be fatal. Prof.
Abdul Rashid Mansoor, a pediatric internal medicine.