A medical doctor, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, said on Friday the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine inaugurated recently by the Federal Government would prevent the pneumonia induced death of children under five years.
Enabulele, the immediate past President of the Nigerian Medical Association, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
NAN reports that the vaccine was launched on December 22 through the efforts of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency in Lokoja, Kogi State.
He said: “Silently, they did all they could to ensure that the child mortality rate in the country is reduce through several interventions.
“One of which was the launch of the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in the last quarter of the year (2014), which is to be introduced into Nigeria`s expanded programmes on immunisation schedule.
“Pneumonia globally accounts for the death of nearly one million under-five children every year and with over 177,000 under-five children in Nigerian dying from pneumococcal diseases annually.
“So, the introduction of the PVC vaccine through the efforts of NPHCDA is expected to help in the prevention and reduction of pneumonia, particularly childhood pneumonia in Nigeria.
“And obviously, help to reduce the child mortality rate in our country, Nigeria especially, under under-five mortality rate.”
Pneumonia is inflammation or infection in the lungs in which the air sacs are filled with pus and other fluids, making it difficult for oxygen to reach the blood.
It is caused by viruses, fungi or bacteria.
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