Pneumonia accounts for 15% of all deaths of children under 5 years old, killing an estimated 922 000 children in 2015. This is according to a study done by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs, whereby the alveoli are filled with pus and fluid, which makes breathing painful and limits oxygen intake.

During this year’s World Pneumonia Day, Philips East Africa introduces a diagnostic device dubbed, Automated Breathing Rate Monitor, which aims help improve the diagnosis and treatment of Pneumonia in low-resource countries.

The device converts chest movements detected by accelerometers into an accurate breathing count, using specially developed algorithms.

It could also help rationalize the use of antibiotics by reducing the unnecessary costs and antibiotics overuse rates.

The Philips Children’s Automated Respiration Monitor will be commercially available from the second quarter of 2016.