Asian silent killer endangers young kids

MANILA, Philippines - There’s more to Asians than squinting eyes and porcelain skin as this race could be in danger of being wiped out if the number one killer of children under five years does not get caught.

Each year, roughly a million children die of pneumococcal diseases (Pds) — and 48 percent of Asian parents admit that they know nothing or little about these diseases. Considered the number one killer of children under five years of age worldwide, it’s no surprise that this silent pandemic, while preventable, is still quietly spreading its wrath.

Pneumococcal diseases include invasive ones also known as IPD such as meningitis, sepsis, bacteremia, pneumonia, and other common diseases such as acute otitis media (middle ear infection).

Locally, one out of every three Filipino children diagnosed with invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) dies. These diseases affect mostly children less than two years old.

Mortality is not the only burden associated with PDs. Imagine a two-year-old child never hearing his mother’s voice again or never having the chance to sing nursery rhymes. These are but some of the possible scenarios for those burdened with acute otitis media (AOM) and its complications.

More commonly known as luga, acute otitis media can lead to hearing loss, speech defects, and other developmental delays, proving that if not treated, pneumococcal diseases can lead to long-term consequences that are sometimes even more serious than the disease itself.

Prevention is always better than cure.  That’s why vaccination is the recommended method to prevent child mortality due to pneumoccocal diseases.  GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a global leader in preventive healthcare, has launched a vaccine that is intended to combat this silent pandemic.  This also helps protect children against diseases such as: meningitis, blood infection, pneumonia, and ear infection caused by 10 serotypes of pneumococcal bacteria.  It may be administered to infants from six weeks to six months of age in a six, 10, 14 weeks or 2-4-6 month schedule.