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Pneumococcal Disease Awareness Project

Pneumococcal disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children worldwide. This bacterial infection causes serious diseases including meningitis, pneumonia and sepsis as well as less serious conditions such as otitis media and sinusitis. According to the World Health Organization, acute respiratory infections kill an estimated 2.6 million children under five years of age annually. Pneumococcus causes over 1 million of these deaths, most of which occur in developing countries, where pneumococcus is probably the most important pathogen of early infancy. Children under 24 months of age and children with disorders of the immune system are most at risk. Recently the organism has developed both intermediate and high level of resistance to the most commonly used antibiotics.

During 2006 the Sabin Vaccine Institute conducted a study to estimate the burden (mortality, morbidity and disability) and costs of pneumococcal disease in Latin America and the Caribbean, and to use available data to develop projections of the burden of childhood pneumococcal disease and determine the cost-effectiveness of vaccination. Results indicated that every year, an estimated 1.6 million children in Latin America and the Caribbean have an episode of pneumococcal disease.

The direct medical costs of pneumococcal disease borne by the healthcare system are US$293 million which represents US$25 for each child born in the region annually. In addition to health care system costs, pneumococcal disease results in large numbers of hospitalizations and may cause permanent disability and death. The study estimated that vaccination could prevent over half of all cases and deaths due to pneumococcal disease annually in the region including 9,478 deaths. This translates into almost one life saved and one case prevented per 1,000 and 80 children vaccinated respectively. The use of vaccines could greatly reduce the burden of this disease.