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Children’s diarrhoea vaccine launched
By STEVEN MVULA
A vaccine against diarrhoea for children under the age of five has been introduced in Zambia.
The vaccine, rotavirus, will be administered by the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia and Absolute Return for Kids under the auspices of the Programme for Awareness and Elimination of Diarrhoea (PAED) over a period of three years.
Speaking in Lusaka yesterday during the launch of a project that will administer the vaccine, head of PAED Roma Chilengi said the organisation will work closely with Government to ensure that the high infant mortality rate in Zambia is significantly reduced.
“This programme is a major step towards saving hundreds of thousands of children’s lives,” he said.
Dr Chilengi said during the three years of the project, PAED will help to strengthen the national vaccination programme and promote other preventive measures that can drastically reduce the number of children who die of diarrhoea.
About 84,000 infants have been targeted for vaccination by the end of this year in Lusaka alone, while more than 700,000 children will be vaccinated countrywide by 2015.
The pilot phase for administering the vaccine will start in Lusaka next week.
Dr Chilengi said the programme will also provide community education on how to prevent and treat diarrhoea.
He said about 40 children under the age of five in Zambia die from diarrhoea every day.
...
Last Updated ( Saturday, 21 January 2012 10:13 )
http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/index.php/politics/3056-childrens-diarrhoea-vaccine-launched
By STEVEN MVULA
A vaccine against diarrhoea for children under the age of five has been introduced in Zambia.
The vaccine, rotavirus, will be administered by the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia and Absolute Return for Kids under the auspices of the Programme for Awareness and Elimination of Diarrhoea (PAED) over a period of three years.
Speaking in Lusaka yesterday during the launch of a project that will administer the vaccine, head of PAED Roma Chilengi said the organisation will work closely with Government to ensure that the high infant mortality rate in Zambia is significantly reduced.
“This programme is a major step towards saving hundreds of thousands of children’s lives,” he said.
Dr Chilengi said during the three years of the project, PAED will help to strengthen the national vaccination programme and promote other preventive measures that can drastically reduce the number of children who die of diarrhoea.
About 84,000 infants have been targeted for vaccination by the end of this year in Lusaka alone, while more than 700,000 children will be vaccinated countrywide by 2015.
The pilot phase for administering the vaccine will start in Lusaka next week.
Dr Chilengi said the programme will also provide community education on how to prevent and treat diarrhoea.
He said about 40 children under the age of five in Zambia die from diarrhoea every day.
...
Last Updated ( Saturday, 21 January 2012 10:13 )
http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/index.php/politics/3056-childrens-diarrhoea-vaccine-launched
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