Images capturing global pneumonia interventions, awareness and positive stories of children under five years of age, to spur policy change and action against pneumonia.

Baltimore, MD (March 29, 2010) – Today the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia announces the first annual Photoshare World Pneumonia Day Photo Contest. The contest will collect submissions from around the world highlighting the massive toll of pneumonia. This disease annually claims the lives of 2 million children before their fifth birthdays even though it is a disease for which we have proven, effective, and affordable solutions. The contest is sponsored by Nikon and winners will be selected by an expert panel of three judges including: two-time Pulitzer prize winning journalist and New York Times columnist, Nicholas Kristof, NBC Today Show news anchor, Ann Curry, and a professional photographer (to be announced).

Globally, pneumonia kills more children under five than any other disease, yet many around the world remain unaware of its toll. If made accessible to children around the world, appropriate antibiotics, immunization and nutrition could prevent the vast majority of serious cases and deaths. The contest will support the advancement of photography as a vital tool to communicate issues related to the global fight against pneumonia.

The contest has seven award categories: Best Entry for Africa, The Americas, Europe and Central Asia, South-East Asia or Western Pacific, Best Narrative, and Most Outstanding Entry. Nikon has generously donated cameras to be awarded to winners in each category. Winning entries will highlight the environment of young children stricken by pneumonia including: interventions and challenges; survival stories and healthy outcomes; and the economic burden faced by families with a child suffering from the disease.

The 1st Annual 2010 Photoshare World Pneumonia Day Photo Contest will accept submissions until May 31, 2010. Contest winners will be evaluated based on topic relevancy and technical execution. Winning and finalist photos will be showcased on the Photoshare gallery and hosted on a number of other medium to high impact virtual venues. In addition, recognized submissions will be displayed as part of an exhibit at a prestigious venue in Washington, DC during the summer of 2010.

The World Pneumonia Day Photo Contest is a collaboration between Photoshare, a service of Knowledge for Health (K4Health), and the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in partnership with the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia. This effort, with support from World Pneumonia Day partner organizations, will complement worldwide events leading up to the second-annual World Pneumonia Day - November 12, 2010.

For more information and contest entry forms, visit the 2010 Photoshare World Pneumonia Day Photo Contest Announcement: http://www.photoshare.org/contest/wpd/2010/worldpneumoniadayphotocontest.php

Learn more about World Pneumonia Day:
In November 2009, nearly 100 leading global health organizations joined forces to commemorate the first-annual World Pneumonia Day. Nearly 170 events took place in 36 countries across 6 continents. The second-annual World Pneumonia Day will take place on November 12, 2010. Mark your calendars.

• Log on to www.WorldPneumoniaDay.org to sign up to receive email updates about World Pneumonia Day.

• Learn more about what causes pneumonia and how we can fight back.

• Join the movement on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/WorldPneumoniaDay

Photoshare
Photoshare is a service of Knowledge for Health (K4Health), helping non-profit organizations communicate global health and development issues through photography. By facilitating photo sharing among colleagues in international development, Photoshare has become a leading source for editorial development photography. The Photoshare collection, consisting primarily of photos taken by public health professionals in the field, contains more than 17,000 images illustrating the realities of urban and rural life in developing countries, as well as global efforts to improve and save lives. Photoshare based at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs. For more information, visit: www.photoshare.org

International Vaccine Access Center
The International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health aims to accelerate global access to life-saving vaccines through development and implementation of evidence-based policies. IVAC was established to increase access to lifesaving vaccines by overcoming many of the obstacles that often delay vaccine usage and distribution. IVAC will also serve as a source of vaccine policy information and analysis and will develop and use evidence to advocate for improved global health policies and their implementation. Projects undertaken by IVAC are supported by grants from the GAVI Alliance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. To learn more about IVAC, please visit www.jhsph.edu/ivac. To learn more about pneumococcal disease, please visit www.pneumoaction.org.

About Nikon
Nikon, At the Heart of the Image™. Nikon Inc. is the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology and is globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for its award-winning consumer and professional photographic equipment. Nikon Inc. distributes consumer and professional digital SLR cameras, NIKKOR optics, Speedlights and system accessories; Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras; COOLSCAN® digital film scanners; 35mm film SLR cameras; Nikon software products and Nikon sports and recreational optics.. Nikon Corporation, the parent company of Nikon Inc., recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its legendary F-mount lens-mounting system. Only Nikon has sustained an original lens mount for such an extraordinary period, ensuring that photographers can continue to leverage their previous investments while still taking advantage of new innovations. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-UX or visit http://www.nikonusa.com, which links all levels of photographers to the Web's most comprehensive photo learning and sharing communities.