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DELEGATES from Bahrain were among more than 250 world-class specialists who attended the second annual Africa and Middle East Pneumococcal Summit held in Dubai.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), pneumococcal disease is one of the leading vaccine-preventable causes of death in infants and children younger than five-years-old worldwide.
Pneumococcal disease (PD) describes a group of illnesses caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. The bacteria can spread to other parts of the body, resulting in several different diseases such as non-invasive pneumococcal disease and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).
IPDs include types of meningitis (inflammation of membranes surrounding the spinal cord or brain), bacteremia (infection of the blood) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs).
The conference focused on invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia in children. It also addressed the critical issue of antibiotic-resistant strains.
Attendees discussed the role of vaccination programmes and the protection of children from pneumonia and meningitis through the introduction of new vaccines.
Consultant Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, said: "The introduction of new vaccines to protect our children is an important step forward in our fight against pneumonia and other pneumococcal diseases."
