Kenya's pneumococcal rollout

Browse this gallery to see pictures of Kenya's celebration of the introduction of pneumococcal vaccine into its national immunisation programme, as well as what the life-saving vaccine will mean for mothers living in the Kibera shanty town in Nairobi.

14 February 2011

Riccardo Gangale/GAVI/2011
Hundreds of mothers wait for the chance to protect their children from Kenya’s second biggest child killer at a special event held in Nairobi this week celebrating the recent introduction of pneumococcal vaccines into the national immunisation programme.
Hundreds of mothers wait for the chance to protect their children from Kenya’s second biggest child killer at a special event held in Nairobi this week celebrating the recent introduction of pneumococcal vaccines into the national immunisation programme.
Riccardo Gangale/GAVI/2011
“This vaccine has come at a most opportune time. One in every five deaths of children in our country is attributed to pneumonia,” said Kenya President Mwai Kibaki, who attended the ceremony with the Minister for Health and Sanitation Beth Mugo (left). “It is now my pleasure to have this vaccine officially launched.”
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Riccardo Gangale/GAVI/2011
Mary Wambui looks on as a nurse delivers the first of three doses of pneumococcal vaccine to her daughter Esther Nyambura. It is a scene that will be repeated countless times over the coming months in health clinics, not only in Kenya, but throughout the developing world.
Riccardo Gangale/GAVI/2011
“Today’s introduction of the pneumococcal vaccine is an historic step towards improved health for children in Kenya and in other developing countries,” said Health Minister Beth Mugo, addressing the February 14 ceremony in Kenya’s International Conference Centre.
Piers Benatar/GAVI/2011
Ever since the first consignment of pneumococcal vaccines reached Kenya in Sept 2010, Eunice Wanjiku Njabu and 1000s of her fellow health workers have been attending one-day training sessions, learning how to administer the vaccine doses.
Riccardo Gangale/GAVI/2011
Before the arrival of pneumococcal vaccines, nurses at Langata were helpless to defend Kibera’s youngest generations from pneumonia. Tabitha Muikali, aged 32, who lives with her one-year-old son John Dolo in Kibera, could only watch as her eldest son spent one month in Langata losing his fight to survive after contracting the disease.
Riccardo Gangale/GAVI/2011
Boniface Ajwala, medical officer at the Langata Health Centre, listens to the breathing of Esther Wabui, aged five. Esther is undergoing treatment for pneumonia. Nearly half of the children treated for illnesses in Langata are brought in suffering from pneumonia.
Riccardo Gangale/GAVI/2011
Josephine Anyango, aged 21, stands outside her house in Kibera with her 11-month-old daughter Michelle Atieno. Aware of the high risks of contracting pneumonia in the shanty town, Juliet was one of hundreds of mothers queueing to vaccinate their children at the 14 February celebratory event.
Riccardo Gangale/GAVI/2011
Kenyan mothers’ happiness at seeing their children receive the life-saving pneumococcal vaccination reflects the success of the Health Ministry’s ‘Stop Pneumonia. There is a solution.’ campaign, which has helped rise national awareness of pneumonia. By administering three doses of pneumococcal vaccine to all infants aged less than 12 months at one month intervals, the Health Ministry expects to reach 85% pneumococcal vaccine coverage by 2012.
Riccardo Gangale/GAVI/2011
“The roll-out of the pneumococcal vaccine has become a reality across the world allowing developing country governments to reduce deaths and enable millions of children to grow up healthy,” said Helen Evans, interim CEO of the GAVI Alliance.