24 January 2011Last updated at 11:36

In pictures: Pneumonia vaccination in Nairobi

BBC Medical Correspondent Fergus Walsh visited a health centre in Kibera, Nairobi, to observe pneumonia immunisations being carried out.

This dad was carrying his daughter through Kibera and it made me think how difficult it must be to keep your children out of the rubbish and dirt that is everywhere.

There are no tarmac roads in Kibera so when an ambulance needs access it has to pick its way through the potholes and rough terrain.

In the distance you can see some new flats that were built on the edge of Kibera, following slum clearance, but the tens of thousands of shacks remain.

When I arrived at the Langata Health Centre on the edge of Kibera, around 60 mums were waiting for the pneumonia vaccine.

Beatrice Aching with her three-month-old daughter Tamara. Beatrice’s son died from pneumonia in November and so when she heard about the vaccine, she was determined to bring Tamara to get immunised.

The pneumonia vaccine protects against 10 strains of pneumococcal bacteria which are responsible for the majority of cases of severe pneumonia. Pneumococcal disease also causes meningitis and blood poisoning

The pneumonia vaccine is being rolled out to 19 poorer countries but many others could benefit if there were sufficient funds.

Leah Otieno’s nine-month-old son Emmanuel had pneumonia before Christmas but recovered with antibiotics and has now been immunised.

Jane Olukunga was delighted to get six-month-old Bravin immunised.

Eight month old Vanessa is on a drip and receiving a blood transfusion.

Eight-month-old Vanessa has acute bacterial pneumonia and is on a drip and receiving a blood transfusion. She is also malnourished.

This is the acute paediatrics room at Mbagathi hospital in Nairobi. There is no isolation ward so several children and their parents were crammed into this tiny space. They all share a single drip stand for blood, IV fluids etc.

The children’s wards at the hospital are packed with pneumonia cases. There are at least two children to each bed. Last week three children died from pneumonia.

Youngsters have no option but to play amid the dirt and squalor. A 2009 census by the Kenyan government put the total population of Kibera at 170,000. Another study by an Italian sociologist estimated it at around 250,000.

Africa

In pictures: Pneumonia vaccination in Nairobi

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