A Spoonful of Love from the Mother's Soul: World Pneumonia Day 2011

If you have not heard or don't even know what is Pneumococcal (pronounced as new-mo-co-ccal).. Did you know pneumococcal disease, that can cause meningitis, pneumonia, otitis media (middle ear infection) and septicaemia, is preventable through vaccination yet continues to be the leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide?

Pneumonia is the world’s leading killer of children age 5.
It takes the life of one child every 20 seconds and is responsible for nearly 20% of deaths in young children.
Pneumonia is among the most solvable problems in global health, and yet it remains the leading infectious killer of young children on the planet.

We have the tools to protect and prevent children from catching pneumonia and to treat those suffering with this illness. Investments in preventing, protecting against, and treating pneumonia have helped contribute to a 35% reduction in child mortality since 1990. To advance progress, we need to continue these investments.
This illness is harmful and attacking children below 5 years old. Why am I posting about this? If you have not read about my lil Amir who was infected on Pneumococcal Meningitis when he was 11 months old last June 2011. Please read here and here.

On 12 November 2011 last week is the World Pneumonia Day 2011 and I've been invited to attend their conference together with Pfizer on lauch the official website: http://www.abc4pneumococcal.com/ <<< it's everything u wanna know about Pneumococcal.

Bruce Langoulant

Jessica Langoulant

And the best part, Bruce Langoulant, Chairman, The Meningitis Centre. President, Confederation of Meningitis which his daughter also suffer from Pneumococcal Meningitis when the baby girl, Ashleigh was 6 months old. He is a father who is on a mission to save children's lives. And he believes that the harder he works, the more children will be saved from the clutches of a deadly disease. Meet Australian Bruce Langoulant, a global campaigner who raises awareness on the dangers of meningitis.

He wants parents to learn from him because his second daughter is handicapped after she was struck by the illness almost 20 years ago. Things were rosy for the family until December 1989 when the girl, then only six months old, fell ill suddenly. She survived.

Ashleigh, now 22, has never walked, or talked. Mr Langoulant told The New Paper that it's something he does not want other parents to go through.
'Right now, it is still a tragedy that is being repeated every day,' he said.
He was in Malaysia recently to share his experiences with a group of parents which including me (of course) whose children were also struck by the often devastating illness caused by the common bacterium, the pneumococcus.

Ashleigh had pneumococcal meningitis, one of the four types of illnesses caused by the pneumococcus.
Such bacteria can cause pneumonia, blood infection, meningitis and also ear and nose complications.
Mr Langoulant now travels the world as the president of the Confederation of Meningitis Organisation, hoping to persuade both authorities and parents of the urgency to put the vaccine against the disease on the schedule of compulsory vaccinations for children.

the doogift is so informative & awesome

with Dynas (actress) who already vaccinated her baby as well

It was a really great sharing by Bruce about his daughter. I urged all parents MUST ASSURED TO VACCIN THEIR CHILD WITH PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCIN. Its Prevenar-13.

You can get it in normal pead clinic or hospital in the range from RM250 - RM350 per dose.
If your child is below 12 months : 3 dose x RM 280 (@ Dr Chan Child Specialist in Sri Damansara)
If your child is 12 months - 2 years : 2 dose
If your child is above 2 years : 1 dose

*do not wait until your child is above 2 years because you want to save money. DON'T! because like my baby Amir got this illness at 11 months old and Bruce's daughter, Ashleigh got it at 6 months old.

I do not wish other parents to face what I am already face in June 2011. Read my previous entry here.

Want to know more about this, can also visit : www.facebook.com/preventpneumonia

Lets view the event pictures...