Health - Concerned about the alarming rate of infant mortality in Nigeria, the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), has called on the Federal Government to include pneumococcal vaccine in the National Programme of Immunization (NPI) to reduce the scourge of under five deaths. The move , the medical women practitioners pointed out will fast track the attainment of goal 4 of the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) targeted at reducing child mortality by 2015.

They disclosed that pneumonia is a major killer of children under the age of five and has a mortality rate as high as malaria.

The Medical Women made the call during a press briefing to herald their 17th Biennial Conference and General Assembly yesterday in Lagos slated for September 22 -24 ,20ll .

Unveiling the activities lined up for the conference which will hold at the Lagoon Restaurant Lagos, the National President elect and Chairman Local Organising Committee, Dr. Christina Campbell observed that there are different types of pneumococcal vaccine used in the prevention of pneumonia in children, but however, advocated for a popular brand, prevenar 13 to be include in the routine immunization of children in the country.

"We are advocating that pneumococcal vaccine should be integrated into the national programme of immunisation, this is because pneumonia is at par with malaria as a major killer of children under the age of five".

The doctors argued that the present vaccine regime for children in Nigeria is incomplete without pneumococcal vaccine, hence the high prevalence of infant mortality in the country.

They assured that they would not relent in their agitation for the inclusion of the vaccine in the National Programme of Immunisation, adding that already, they have started approaching the government to do something about it urgently.

The doctors recalled that they have similar challenges when they started cancer awareness programme for women over 20 years ago but are happy that today, government has come out to join in the creation of awareness against cancer, particularly, breast and cervical cancer in women.

They said that presently, they are carrying out breast and cervical cancer screening at a reduced cost at their secretariat in Lagos while they don't relent to go for breast and cervical screening outreaches in churches and communities when invited.

According to Dr. Tokunbo Dabri, President of MWAN, Lagos State Branch, "Lagos State Government have assisted tremendously in carrying out free and breast cancer screening for women. And every quarter, we hold major outreaches in churches and other places we are invited to. We are happy that through our little effort the awareness has increased".

Dabri said: "It was gathered that the last biennial conference hosted in Lagos State by MWAN was ten years ago and the doctors said that this year's own promises to be extra ordinary.

She revealed that the theme of the conference tagged "Revisiting the Myth Behind Maternal and Infant Mortality:Can e-Health/m Health make a difference" will provide ample opportunity for stakeholders to revisit and reemphasised the need to secure adequate values, quality control, as it will also provide a platform for developing standards that would shape the content of e- health applications in medical practice in Nigeria.

"The theme and sub-themes would give us a vivid picture of the dental and health status of our women and children as they are thought provoking and very relevant in addressing the MDGS four and five as we soon approach year 2015, she said.

Angela Iroh

Daily Champion/20/09/2011