"Laban Niyo.Mo.Niya"

CEBU, Philippines - Baby Kendra, four months old, showed symptoms very similar to those of the common cough, colds or fever. The parents gave their little baby over-the-counter drugs. The symptoms did not relent.

Instead, Baby Kendra soon totally lost her appetite and had difficulty breathing. The baby had to be rushed to the hospital, where she had to be confined for a week. It was pneumonia.

The baby girl was lucky to have immediately received proper medical attention. According to the Department of Health, "if left untreated, pneumonia can be extremely fatal." The tricky thing is that the symptoms are very much like those of the common cough, colds or fever, as in the case of Baby Kendra.

The latest pneumococcal (anti-pneumonia) vaccine was launched in Cebu on July 3. According to Dr. Janette L. Garin, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary for Women, Children and Family Health Cluster, and Dr. Joyce Ducusin, Director of the Family Health Office - National Center for Disease Prevention and Control, the first step in DOH's drive of a 95-percent coverage for immunity against pneumonia begins here in Cebu because of the "dedication and commitment of the local government units to support long-term public health programs for the young population."

Dr. Garin said that pneumonia "is a very expensive disease brought about by airborne bacteria." Dr. Ducusin added that the illness "has been identified as among the top five causes of mortality in the Philippines, averaging fourth in the past ten years." 

The young population is most vulnerable, so it requires the support of local leaders and the community itself to sustain the health program. Thus, the campaign "Laban Niyo.Mo.Niya (Libreng Bakuna Kontra Pneumonia)" underscores communal involvement.

Together with private sector partner Pfizer Philippines, DOH is stepping up awareness about the disease and employing the latest technology in Pneumococcal Vaccine (PCV) to protect Filipino children, particularly those in the most underserved communities across the country.

The "Laban Niyo.Mo.Nya" launch saw the turnover of a vaccine refrigerator, to maintain quality of the vaccines; as well as a ceremonial vaccination of 20 babies (beginning 1.5 months or six weeks old). The DOH aims to vaccinate 400,000 beneficiaries in Central and Eastern Visayas - especially the areas hardest hit by last year's super typhoon Yolanda. Vaccines are administered to babies in three shots (at 1.5, at 2.5 and at 3.5 months).

Pneumonia is just one of the many types of pneumococcal diseases caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. It can include invasive infections such as meningitis and sepsis (infection of the blood), as well as non-invasive infections such as acute otitis media (infection of the ear), sinusitis and pneumococcal pneumonia which is an infection of the lungs by the bacteria.

Dr. Gigi Claveria, medical manager of Pfizer Philippines, explained, "The good news is that pneumococcal diseases can easily be prevented with the simple practice of vaccination." She pointed out that the latest anti-pneumonia vaccine being rolled out provides the "broadest coverage against the major serotypes or strains of infectious bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease," a disease that, according to UNICEF, places the Philippines in the top 15 countries globally with the highest number of cases of pneumonia among children under the age of five.

Pfizer Vaccines-Asia Pacific/China regional president Mark Swindell shared, "It is Pfizer's core value and commitment to expand access to our innovative medicines and to make a tangible impact in improving and saving lives, especially those of Filipino children." He added that Pfizer considers the project as a valuable initiative toward supporting the government's goal of strengthening public health.

The "Laban Niyo.Mo.Niya" campaign, according to Usec. Garin, solidifies DOH's goal to decrease and ultimately eradicate pneumonia among Filipinos, especially among children. (FREEMAN)