Pneumonia kills 210,557 kids in 2015

An estimated 210,557 children in Nigeria have died from pneumonia and diarrhoea this year, according to a global report published by the Johns Hopkins International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC). That’s 28 percent of the 750,000 children aged under five who died this year alone, the report notes. The deaths make pneumonia and diarrhoea the second […]

An estimated 210,557 children in Nigeria have died from pneumonia and diarrhoea this year, according to a global report published by the Johns Hopkins International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC).

That’s 28 percent of the 750,000 children aged under five who died this year alone, the report notes.

The deaths make pneumonia and diarrhoea the second and third commonest causes of child deaths in Nigeria.

The report, which monitors progress against both diseases in 15 countries with the largest burden in the wake of the new Sustainable Development Goals, has given rise to a social media campaign #BeatPneumonia.

It has also spawned a social media video challenge, launched on World Pneumonia Day in Abuja, in hopes of combating the disease by supporting families to immunise their children.

Cautious optimism

IVAC has warned Nigeria has reason for “cautious optimism” considering that it missed set targets under Millennium Development Goals to improve children’s health and survival.

Under-five mortality dropped  from  213  to  109  deaths per 1000 live births between 1990 and 2015 –  a 49%  decline  in  the  risk  of  child  death,” said Dr Chizoba Wonodi, Nigeria Country Lead for IVAC, at events marking World Pneumonia Day in Abuja.

“But  750,000  Nigerian  children  died  in  2015,  largely from  preventable  causes.  So,  while we have made good  progress,  we  are  still  too  far  from fulfilling the “Promise Renewed” of ending preventable child deaths.” 

“We are yet to beat pneumonia. From the year 2000 to 2013, the number of under-five children dying annually from pneumonia has remained practically unchanged. 

In  contrast,  child  deaths  from  malaria  and  measles  declined  by  34%  and  97% respectively.”

Conjugate expenses

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)—introduced recently by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency—helps prevent onset of at least 10 diseases related to the pneumococcus microorganism which brings on infections.

Immunisation with PCV “is a safe and effective mean of protecting children against pneumococcal diseases and therefore the disease will occur less frequently in vaccinated children,” said Dr Ado Muhammad, executive director of the agency.

“Encouraging completion of the immunisation schedule with pentavalent, measles vaccines and all other vaccines is an important action plan for prevention of pneumonia,” Muhammad added.

Price freeze

The pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline has announced a 10-year price freeze of pneumococcal vaccines to enable Nigeria continue to purchase vaccines at prices meant for low-income countries still dependent on support from the Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative (GAVI).

GAVI support pools donor funds from around the world to pay for vaccines used in low-income countries, but Nigeria’s rebasing its economy has made the country no longer eligible for that support by 2021.

According to Dr Olakunle Oladehin, cluster medical leader for GSK’s sub-Saharan Africa division, the plan is to ensure that Nigeria after graduating from GAVI eligibility continues to enjoy the same GAVI from GSK to sustain vaccination.”

The tendency is that if Nigeria graduates from GAVI and we revert to regular price, it may be an inhibition for government to continue to procure vaccines.”