By SOLA OGUNDIPE

THE introduction  of the pentavalent vaccine in Nigeria, is estimated to save the lives of at least 30,000 children from death as a result of vaccine preventable disorders every year.

Launched with support from the GAVI Alliance, the pentavalent vaccine protects against five deadly diseases and GAVI estimates that 72 GAVI-eligible countries will be using this life-saving vaccine by 2013 in their routine immunisation systems.

According to a recent report, Nigeria is highly strategic for GAVI which aims to reach the final 20 percent of the world’s children who still do not have access to routine immunisation. Africa’s most populous country accounts for an estimated 1.7 million of the 19.3 million children who did not receive routine immunisation in 2010.

In 2013, Nigeria is set to introduce pneumococcal vaccines, helping to protect against pneumonia, still the world’s biggest killer of children under the age of five.

When the pentavalent and pneumococcal vaccines are fully rolled out, Nigeria’s child mortality rate will drop by an estimated 17 percent, preventing some 30 000 child deaths every year.

Meanwhile the  GAVI Alliance has commended the leadership and generosity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for its US$ 1.5 million gift and the volunteer work of LDS members to support immunisation programmes through the GAVI Alliance.

The donation will be doubled as part of the GAVI Matching Fund by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, making the Church-sponsored LDS Charities the seventh public-private partner in the programme.

The Gates Foundation and the British Government have agreed to match contributions to GAVI from corporations, foundations, their customers, employees, business partners and members to raise US$ 260 million for immunisation through 2015.