KHOST - Around 100,000 children under one year of age will be given free vaccine against pneumonia during a campaign started by the Ministry of Public Health for children in Khost province.

The vaccination campaign, which will be implemented both in provincial capital and rural parts of the province, is aimed to reduce child mortality.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the acting Public Health Director, Dr. Hamidullah Hamidi, said the pneumococcal has been included in Afghanistan vaccination policy and would be part of the routine vaccination programme.

The vaccine was expected to lower the high infant mortality rate in the country, said Dr. Hamidi adding that it was estimated that about 35,991 children die every year from pneumococcal form of the disease in Afghanistan.

Vaccination Outreach Officer, Dr. Najib Rahman, in his comments said: “Pneumonia is the biggest killer of children under the age of five,” adding that a research indicated that it killed 850,000 small children only in one year around the world.

“For the first time pneumonia vaccine has been included in the Afghanistan’s vaccination program, which is very expensive,” said Dr. Rahman.

In his comments, the Provincial Governor, Abdul Jabar Naeemi, appealed from the parents to take their children for immunization and save the lives of our coming generation.

Sayed Karim Khaksar, Provincial Council (PC) chairman termed it a development in health sector, calling on community elders, clerics, media institutions and other sections of the society to cooperate with the campaign organizers.

Source: Mashal Radio