Pneumonia kills one child every 39 seconds; 127,000 died in India last year

Pneumonia is the world's deadliest child killer, with a "forgotten epidemic" claiming one young life every 39 seconds, international health and children's agencies warned Tuesday.

The disease is preventable but still kills more children -- 800,000 under the age of five last year -- than any other infection, they said in a statement to mark World Pneumonia Day.

"Every day, nearly 2,200 children under the age of five die from pneumonia, a curable and mostly preventable disease," Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF, said in a joint statement.

"Strong global commitment and increased investments are critical to the fight against