No Hope Lost: Protect Your Child from Pneumonia and Rotavirus

The only love that I really believe in is a mother’s love for her children. It is of deep devotion and of great sacrifice. It is endless, unselfish and enduring. She guides, nourishes and protects her child to the best of her ability.

Being a parent is tough no matter how you look at it. The job of keeping your children safe, healthy, and happy never really ends.

That being said, to lose a child is the most heartbreaking experience a mother can ever have. But having a mother whose care is unconditional; she won’t let this happen at all. To her last breath, she will do anything to save her child, especially from death and disease. Parents and society in general will do anything to prevent the loss of their children.

As moms, keeping your children safe and healthy is always your first priority. How do we protect our kids against these diseases? Vaccination.

The top two leading causes of mortality and morbidity among children less than 5 years of age are pneumonia and diarrhea,  that if left unchecked can potentially lead to devastating consequences. The Philippines reflects this same scenario. Good thing thought that Pneumonia and Rotavirus are preventable through vaccination – there is a need to inform parents that these diseases are now vaccine-preventable.


In an awareness campaign called “No Hope Lost” from GlaxoSmithKline, it embodies the need for immediate action to get children vaccinated against pneumonia and diarrhea. By spreading the campaign through radio ads, print notices, flyers, and posters, more people will be aware on how to protect their children from these diseases.

Pneumonia is the single greatest cause of death in children worldwide. In fact, pneumonia is the leading cause of illness and death among Filipino children less than 5 years old. National statistics show an estimated 37 Filipino children die of pneumonia every day.1

Globally, diarrhea is the second leading killer of children under 5 years of age, accounting for 1.4 million child deaths annually. Rotavirus Gastroenteritis (RVGE) is the common cause of diarrhea and severe dehydration in young children. It is also the leading reason of diarrheal hospitalizations and deaths among children. It is most severe and frequent in infants aged 3-24 months.

No child has to die because of pneumonia or rotavirus diseases, especially since these are both highly preventable. Early protection is the key to reduce disease burden. Prevention is KEY.

Among the ways to get your child protected aside from breastfeeding, hand washing, preventing air pollution, and adequate nutrition, is through vaccination.

Ria Tanjuatco-Trillo hosted the program. Guest speaker, Dr. Sally Gatchalian who is Deputy Exec. Director of the Phil. Foundation for Vaccine and President of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Phils  and singer  and Mom of 2, Barbie Almalbis-Honasan graced the event.
“It’s the best time to raise awareness on pneumonia and diarrhea prevention. These diseases should not cause unnecessary suffering to young children,” says Dr. Sally Gatchalian, Philippine Foundation for Vaccination Director. “Sometimes it’s just that parents don’t know enough about these diseases, and they don’t know that there are actually vaccines for them.”

In 2012, the Philippine government has already acknowledged this burden and addressed it by introducing Rotavirus Vaccine (RV) in the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) where 700,000 Filipino children aged 6 weeks up to 6 months of age were given free rotavirus vaccines.

In 2013, the Department of Health (DOH) leveled up the fight against the top killer of Filipino children by including another novel vaccine called Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) in the EPI.

This combined effort to protect Filipino children against pneumonia and diarrhea contributes to the achievement of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 of reducing infant and child mortality by 2/3 by 2015. RV and PCV are novel vaccines introduced by the DOH in the last 5 years and the Philippines is the first country in the ASEAN region to introduce both vaccines in the EPI.

As one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, GSK continues to be a committed partner of both private healthcare practitioners and the government in the fight against childhood diseases, death and suffering around the world by offering health solutions for the reduction of overall diseases.

“With the help of our dear pediatricians, and the Department of Health, we are committed to the reduction of pneumonia and diarrhea cases nationwide by supplying high quality vaccines. These diseases account for an alarming almost 50 mortalities per day in the Philippines. GSK is here to support the Filipino medical community and the government’s drive to make health services accessible to everyone,” added Philip Cruz, GSK Medical Director.


Hopefully, more parents will be aware and fewer children will have to miss out on enjoying the best life they deserve. Go ahead and ask your pediatrician about preventive measures against pneumococcal and rotavirus diseases. Spread the word and always remember, kaya mong protektahan ang anak mo.

 
 

5 comments

  1. thanks for this info,i will be very cautious on my child health,thanks to this advocacy,many will be inform!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice read! I like the suggestions.

    ReplyDelete
  3. this is a very informative post,prevention is better than cure.

    ReplyDelete

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