Pneumonia Vaccine Will Save a Child From Dying Every Three Minutes

In a country with varying social and economic realities, vaccines are a unifier that can protect every child.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/UNICEF India)

Elections have forever captured the fancy of the masses, dominated headlines and discussions. The political agenda in India is largely ruled by promising the masses roti, kapda and makaan. Health seldom finds mention.

This situation is quite a contrast from developed nations like United States, where Obamacare discussions drove the polls, or the United Kingdom, where the National Health Service was at the eye of the Brexit storm.

A positive relation exists between economic growth and improvement of health indicators, so for a developing nation like India, health needs to be at the front and centre of its political agenda.

Also Read: Build Trust & Make Hospitals Great Again – by Not Going the US Way

It is heartening to see, though, that governments over the recent years have had the political will to focus on healthcare. The government’s health initiative National Rural Health Mission (NHM) has seen India through a considerable decline in infant, child and maternal mortality, and an increase in life expectancy.

Polio, and maternal and neonatal tetanus have been eliminated through implementation of innovative schemes and policies. A critical intervention in disease elimination has been immunisation.

The government’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) provides routine immunisations to all children free of charge. Covering over 27 million infants, 100 million children between the age of 1-5 years, and 30 million pregnant women annually, it is the largest of its kind in the world.

In the last few years, the government has shown great commitment to vaccination by introducing the Mission Indradhanush, aiming to strengthen the key functional areas of immunisation and increase India’s full immunisation coverage to at least 90 percent by 2020. A tall order, considering the current coverage rate of 62 percent.

PCV Can Save Lives of Over One Lakh Children

To that end, new vaccines are being introduced into the UIP.

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) has for a long time been available in the private sector, but is one of the most expensive vaccines globally, accessible only to families who can afford it. The vaccine protects children against one of the most common causes of pneumonia – a bacterium called pneumococcus, which also causes other diseases such as ear infections, meningitis, and blood infections.

It can prevent over one lakh child deaths due to pneumonia, making a significant dent in the international disease burden as well. A child in India loses its life to pneumonia every three minutes in this country. Yet the people remain unaware of the benefits of vaccines and question their need.

After the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine against diarrhea in 2016, the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine was introduced in a few southern states in 2017. It was sad to see social media rumour-mongering, coupled with some people’s lack of awareness leading to initial resistance, slowing down the MR drive.

Many who have access to the best of healthcare money can afford, at times become suspicious of the government’s free vaccines initiatives.

An Effective Prevention for the Vulnerable

In a vast country, with varying social and economic realities, vaccines are a unifier that can protect and prevent every child from deadly diseases. Where a child is born shouldn’t determine if s/he gets a chance to survive and thrive.

However, there exists a wide gap in living conditions, sanitation, access to treatment and health facilities, resulting in diseases disproportionally affecting those who can least afford the related expenses.

Thus, vaccines are widely acknowledged as cost-effective interventions, that are safe and save millions lives around the globe. Not only death, vaccines protect against morbidity, translating into less hospitalisation due to disease.

Currently 70 percent of the healthcare expenses in India are incurred out of people’s pockets, often driving families to poverty.

If vaccines can ensure children fall sick less, then their parents too would not need to stay home, missing work and pay, to take care of their children.

Healthy children have better cognitive skills, and grow up to be more productive adults.

Political Will Is Primary for India to Take Healthcare Seriously

The telling evidence is that immunisation has been critical in the eradication of smallpox and is close to eliminating polio from the world. Decreasing deaths from measles, whooping cough and tetanus have also been greatly achieved through vaccination.

From reduction of childhood disabilities through the introduction of rubella vaccine world-wide, the reduction of hepatic cancer through Hepatitis B vaccine, the prevention of death through meningococcal vaccine manufactured in India, are all prime examples of the life- saving impact vaccines have had through the years.

In the Haiti cholera outbreak, the cholera vaccine manufactured in India saved thousands of lives.

We can’t allow our children to die from pneumonia and rotavirus infection, cholera and typhoid when many of these vaccines are being manufactured in India and are saving lives globally.

India must realise that if it does not wish to inherit an unhealthy population, political will must focus on health issues.

Health needs to find greater prominence in political manifestos and election agendas, for it to become a priority no government can ignore.

If elected leaders cannot promise good health and well-being to the people who put them in power, the vision of a superpower that India aspires towards will remain but a dream.

(Dr Nirmal Kumar Ganguly is an Indian microbiologist specialising in tropical diseases, cardiovascular diseases and diarrhea.)

Elections have forever captured the fancy of the masses, dominated headlines and discussions. The political agenda in India is largely ruled by promising the masses roti, kapda and makaan. Health seldom finds mention.

This situation is quite a contrast from developed nations like United States, where Obamacare discussions drove the polls, or the United Kingdom, where the National Health Service was at the eye of the Brexit storm.

A positive relation exists between economic growth and improvement of health indicators, so for a developing nation like India, health needs to be at the front and centre of its political agenda.

Also Read: Build Trust & Make Hospitals Great Again – by Not Going the US Way

It is heartening to see, though, that governments over the recent years have had the political will to focus on healthcare. The government’s health initiative National Rural Health Mission (NHM) has seen India through a considerable decline in infant, child and maternal mortality, and an increase in life expectancy.

Polio, and maternal and neonatal tetanus have been eliminated through implementation of innovative schemes and policies. A critical intervention in disease elimination has been immunisation.

The government’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) provides routine immunisations to all children free of charge. Covering over 27 million infants, 100 million children between the age of 1-5 years, and 30 million pregnant women annually, it is the largest of its kind in the world.

In the last few years, the government has shown great commitment to vaccination by introducing the Mission Indradhanush, aiming to strengthen the key functional areas of immunisation and increase India’s full immunisation coverage to at least 90 percent by 2020. A tall order, considering the current coverage rate of 62 percent.

PCV Can Save Lives of Over One Lakh Children

To that end, new vaccines are being introduced into the UIP.

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) has for a long time been available in the private sector, but is one of the most expensive vaccines globally, accessible only to families who can afford it. The vaccine protects children against one of the most common causes of pneumonia – a bacterium called pneumococcus, which also causes other diseases such as ear infections, meningitis, and blood infections.

PCV is due to be introduced in the UIP this month for free, in phases starting with Himachal Pradesh, parts of Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

It can prevent over one lakh child deaths due to pneumonia, making a significant dent in the international disease burden as well. A child in India loses its life to pneumonia every three minutes in this country. Yet the people remain unaware of the benefits of vaccines and question their need.

After the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine against diarrhea last year, earlier this year the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine was introduced in a few southern states. It was sad to see social media rumour-mongering, coupled with some people’s lack of awareness leading to initial resistance, slowing down the MR drive.

Many who have access to the best of healthcare money can afford, at times become suspicious of the government’s free vaccines initiatives.

An Effective Prevention for the Vulnerable

In a vast country, with varying social and economic realities, vaccines are a unifier that can protect and prevent every child from deadly diseases. Where a child is born shouldn’t determine if s/he gets a chance to survive and thrive.

However, there exists a wide gap in living conditions, sanitation, access to treatment and health facilities, resulting in diseases disproportionally affecting those who can least afford the related expenses.

Thus, vaccines are widely acknowledged as cost-effective interventions, that are safe and save millions lives around the globe. Not only death, vaccines protect against morbidity, translating into less hospitalisation due to disease.

Currently 70 percent of the healthcare expenses in India are incurred out of people’s pockets, often driving families to poverty.

If vaccines can ensure children fall sick less, then their parents too would not need to stay home, missing work and pay, to take care of their children.

Healthy children have better cognitive skills, and grow up to be more productive adults.

Political Will Is Primary for India to Take Healthcare Seriously

The telling evidence is that immunisation has been critical in the eradication of smallpox and is close to eliminating polio from the world. Decreasing deaths from measles, whooping cough and tetanus have also been greatly achieved through vaccination.

From reduction of childhood disabilities through the introduction of rubella vaccine world-wide, the reduction of hepatic cancer through Hepatitis B vaccine, the prevention of death through meningococcal vaccine manufactured in India, are all prime examples of the life- saving impact vaccines have had through the years.

In the Haiti cholera outbreak, the cholera vaccine manufactured in India saved thousands of lives.

We can’t allow our children to die from pneumonia and rotavirus infection, cholera and typhoid when many of these vaccines are being manufactured in India and are saving lives globally.

India must realise that if it does not wish to inherit an unhealthy population, political will must focus on health issues.

Health needs to find greater prominence in political manifestos and election agendas, for it to become a priority no government can ignore.

If elected leaders cannot promise good health and well-being to the people who put them in power, the vision of a superpower that India aspires towards will remain but a dream.

(Dr Nirmal Kumar Ganguly is an Indian microbiologist specialising in tropical diseases, cardiovascular diseases and diarrhea.)

(This article was originally published on May 12, 2017 and is being re-published from The Quint’s archives for World Pneumonia Day.)