For many Chinese, adequate healthcare remains difficult to access; this review revealed a disparate incidence and mortality of pneumonia across different regions of China [55, 61] , some of which is likely due to inequalities in health care. For example, respirators and ventilators for children are not currently available in many county hospitals. Eastern China is more developed, whereas Western China is more rural. According to a report on national maternal and child health endorsed by the China Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and WHO, pneumonia is the leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age in some rural areas, and comprises a larger proportion of deaths in children under 5 years of age as the area becomes more rural [62] . This report also demonstrated the decreasing trends in pneumonia mortality across China, especially in areas where few clinical studies have been completed.