Burundi to vaccinate children under-five against pneumococcus

Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - A new vaccine against pneumococcus will be introduced from 20 September in the routine immunization to protect children under five-years from lung diseases that are responsible for 10 per cent of deaths in this category of vulnerable population in Burundi.

Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) in Burundi represent the second leading cause of morbidity in children under-five years, after malaria, according to the Burundian Minister of Public Health and Fight against HIV/AIDS, Sabine Ntakarutimana.

Speaking of the benefits of the new vaccine in Bujumbura on Wednesday, Ntakarutimana said developed countries were able to significantly reduce cases of pneumococcal pneumonia with pneumococcal vaccine.

In Africa, South Africa was the first country to introduce the vaccine into the routine immunization schedule. Rwanda and Gambia followed in 2009 while Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo joined this year.

In terms of child and maternal health, the Burundian government still has to its credit free health care for children under-five years and for care delivery.

However, the government has yet to start a race against time and invest much more to reach the ultimate objective of reducing by two-thirds the mortality rate among children under-five years by 2015, according to the medical community in Bujumbura.
-0- PANA FB/TBM/IBA/MTD/BOS 14Sept2011