BY SOLA OGUNDIPE
AGAINST pneumonia, the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, MWAN has called for immediate integration of the pneumococcal vaccination into the National Programme on Immunisation, NPI.

In a statement to herald World Pneumonia Day, MWAN noted that vaccination has a vital role to play especially when available, affordable and accessible.

It noted that:  “The country has supported the realisation of the MDGs and the fight against pneumonia will go a long way in ensuring the nation achieves MDG 4.

“We urge major stakeholders to stand united and support all efforts to intensify efforts on the interventions. The inclusion of the vaccine into the National Programme on Immunisation,” it observed.

It said  November 12 was set aside to celebrate globally World Pneumonia Day to provide an annual forum for the world to stand together and demand for more attention on pneumonia.

Lamenting that Nigeria has the highest child mortality rate in Africa, with no fewer than 90,000 children die from pneumonia related diseases, MWAN said lack of attention to the pneumonia has caused too few children to have access to currently available interventions.

The group also said the initiative to form a Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia was taken in April 2009. “The goal was to create awareness and to encourage governments and other efforts to support the implementation of a range of proven measures to combat the disease through prevention and treatment.

“The coalition co-ordinates World Pneumonia Day and presents a yearly report. In 2011, the pneumonia progress report examined data and several key pneumonia interventions –including exclusive breast feeding, access to health care facility, antibiotic treatment and vaccination against pneumonia’s four leading causes in the  15 countries worst affected including Nigeria. Even though there was some progress but not enough.”