The administration informed the Lok Sabha that around 41,000 kids lost their lives due to pneumonia in the country in the year 2006.

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said the data was based on a combined report by two bodies of the United Nations.

The joint report 'Pneumonia The Forgotten Killer' 2006 by United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund and World Health Organization figured the number of pneumonia demises of kids aged below the age of five at
41,000.

He, however, said the government does not have state-wise or year-wise data on pneumonia deaths.

Mr. Azad said the government has taken many steps in order to check pneumonia deaths under the Child Health Programme.

While answering to another query, Minister of State for Health Dinesh Trivedi told the House that 4,76,361 females died of TB and 1,66,852 of the frightening AIDS across India during the last year. (With Inputs from Agencies)