By Samuel Oyadongha
Yenagoa—Wife of Bayelsa State governor, Mrs. Alanyingi Sylva, weekend, advocated the inclusion of vaccination against pneumonia in the National Immunization Programme, NIP, in order to achieve a reduction in the number of deaths resulting from pneumonia in children under the age of five.

She spoke at a round table with doctors and community health workers on child survival in her office, as part of activities to mark the World Pneumonia Day in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.

Mrs. Sylva disclosed that she had discussed with the wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan, on the need to make the vaccines available for the benefit of children in the country.

She charged chairmen of local government councils and community health workers to be actively involved in the fight against pneumonia and other preventable diseases.

A consultant pediatrician and Chief Medical Director of Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, Onyaye Kunle-Olowu,  emphasized the need for children to be protected against pneumonia.

Kunle-Olowu and Oruamabo listed illiteracy, poverty and lack of access to treatment as some of the factors aiding the prevalence of the disease which, they noted, was the number one preventable child killer-diseases.

The state Commissioner for Health, Azibapu Eruani commended Mrs. Sylva for creating awareness about the danger of pneumonia and other child killer diseases.

Eruani advised all stakeholders to ensure child survival by avoiding the causes of diseases especially pneumonia.

The Account Manager of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Mrs. Cassandra Anagboso explained that the Pneumococcal Conjugal Vaccine (PCV) developed for the vaccination of children below the age of five against pneumonia had been found to be very effective.

Meanwhile, wife of the governor of Bayelsa State, Mrs. Alanyingi Sylva has embarked on a walk against pneumonia with doctors, mothers, school children, market women and women from all walks of life to create awareness about the disease.

Addressing the participants at the end of the walk at the Peace Park, Yenagoa, Mrs. Sylva said she believed every child should live a healthy life, noting that the World Pneumonia Day was set aside o create awareness about pneumonia and the danger it posed to the lives and health of children.