Pnuemococcal vaccines, Mohlakeng
8 April 2009
Honourable councillors present
Members of clinic committees
Senior managers from Gauteng Department of Health
Managers from West Rand Health District and West Rand District
Municipality,
Honoured guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Esinye sezigqibo esathatyathwa kwi Nkongolo ye African National Congress
(ANC) e -Stellenbosch ngo nyaka ka 2002, sathi: "UHulumeni makasabalalise
izinhlelo ezizonciphisa ukufa kwabantwana bebulawa izifo ezingavikeleka."
The launch of Pneumococcal vaccines provides us as the ANC government with a
strategic opportunity to contribute to reduction of the high burden of infant
mortality.
Mphathi wohlelo
Kusukela ngonyaka ka 1994, uma sithatha izintambo zombuso, uHulumeni oholwa
yi ANC uqhubekile nokuqhakambisa izinhlelo zokuthuthukisa nokuphucula izimpilo
zabantwana.
Iningi lethu lizokhumbula ukuthi isimemezelo sokuqala esimqoka mayelana
nezempilo senziwa nguMongameli wethu wokuqala uTata u Nelson Mandela ngo 1994.
UTata u Mandela wamemezela ukuthi abantwana abangaphansi kweminyaka eyisithupha
kanye nomama abakhulelwe bayothola ukuhlengwa mahala emitholampilo
nasezibhedlela zika Hulumeni.
Emva kwalesosimemezelo uHulumeni oholwa yi ANC akakaze abheke emuva.
Yingakho izinhlelo zikaHulumeni zigxile ekusindiseni abantwana besesiswini,
bebelethwa, nalapho bengakangeni esikoleni.
Sigxile kulesisigaba ngoba uma uHulumeni engangeneleli kuningi okungonaka
empilweni yomntwana, ngoba yisigaba lapho amalunga omzimba akhe nengqondo yakhe
ifuna ukunakekelwa ngokweqile.
Program director
Launching these vaccines will edge us closer to achieving the 4th Millenium
Development Goal (MDG).
In order to achieve this goal we continue to provide the following
services:
* Prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV multi-dose therapy
* Immunisation, whose coverage currently stands above 95%
* Nutrition, through crèche feeding â 118 257 children are being fed of which 9
676 receive nutrition supplements and vitamin a
* Growth monitoring and development
* integrated management of child hood illnesses
* Kangaroo mother care
* Perinatal Problem Identification Programme.
Program director
The formative stage of a child is very crucial! It is in this context that
ante-natal care services were prioritised in order to save the lives of women
and newly born babies.
Thina siziqhenya ngokuthi "I Gauteng iyisifundazwe esikulungele ukukhulisa
abantwana" - a "province that is fit for children", therefore it is not only
our political responsibility to ensure that the quality of life of our children
is improved.
We also have a moral responsibility as government!
Mphathi wohlelo
Njengoba silusabalalisa loluhlelo lokugoma abantwana, sibagomela izifo
ezihlangene ne Pneumonia yabantwana, sizolinciphisa inani labantwana ababulawa
yilesisifo.
Loluhlelo lokugoma abantwana luzobuye lunciphise inani labantwana ababulawa
yizifo ezihlobene ne HIV. Ngamanye amazwi siyaqhubeka nemizamo yokulwa
negciwane le HIV, ngisho nakulabo bantwana abazalwa ne HIV!
Program director
The new vaccines offer an unprecedented opportunity, considering the current
public health challenges.
Diseases that are caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae are a major public
health problem worldwide.
This strain of pneumoniae causes a wide range of serious infections. These
include:
* invasive Pneumo Disease (IPD): pneumonia, empyema, meningitis,
bacteraemia
* non-Invasive: Less severe but much more common are conditions like otitis
(middle ear infection), sinusitis and bronchitis.
Of the invasive diseases, pneumonia is the most common and carries a high
mortality rate, especially among infants.
Invasive Pneumo disease causes about two million deaths globally, mainly
affecting children below two years and the elderly.
The large majority of those deaths are from poor and developing
countries.
Mphathi wohlelo
Kubikwa ukuthi la e-Africa, le Pneumonia yabantwana, iphatha ababalelwa
phakathi kuka 300 no 779 kwabawu 100 000 abangaphansi kweminyaka emihlanu.
Lapha eMzansi, kuphenyo olwenziwa e Soweto, kubikwa ukuthi lesisifo siphatha
abantwana abawu 349 kwabawu 100 000 abangaphansi konyaka owodwa.
It is also reported that incidence is much higher in HIV infected
children.
Inani labantu abaningi abane HIV bazithola beba ne-resistance kuma
antibiotic abawanikwa mabephethwe yi-Pneumonia, yingakho ibabhuqa kalula.
Uphenyo lukhombisile ukuthi uma umuntu egonyelwe le-Pneumonia eseyingane,
amathuba ale-resistance ebengikhuluma ngayo ayancipha.
Program director
In the United States of America (USA), for example, there was a 57% decline
to penicillin resistance and 59% decline in resistance to multiple
antibiotics.
In our country, similar studies have shown a decline of 67% in penicillin
resistance and 56% decline to bactrim resistance.
There is no doubt in my mind, therefore, that this vaccine decreases the
burden of resistant Invasive Pneumo disease among those who are infected with
HIV.
Since 2004, the ANC government declared that: every day is immunisation day
at our clinics! This is aimed at ensuring that those who have missed
immunisation opportunities do not escape!
We will continue with our efforts to protect our children from preventable
diseases. We therefore urge parents to ensure that children receive the best
available care at our clinics.
The ANC government which will be in office after elections on 22 April 2009
will continue working with you to achieve this goal.
Issued by: Department of Health, Gauteng Provincial Government
8 April 2009
