University of Otago researcher Prof Philip Hill hopes the life-saving impact of a vaccine against pneumonia in The Gambia will encourage other developing countries to follow suit.
Up to 1million children aged under 5 are estimated to die from the disease each year, making it globally the most common cause of death in childhood.
The incidence rate of pneumonia in African children was up to 10 times that of New Zealand youngsters, most likely because of ``vulnerability arising from poverty and malnutrition'', Prof Hill said.
A recently-published pneumococcal vaccine impact study focused on 18,833 patients in The Gambia, Africa, and showed vaccine use reduced X-ray proven pneumonia in children by 24%, and very severe cases by 61%.
Prof Hill, co-director of university's Centre for International Health, said the study clarified the impact of the vaccines in a developing country.
Cutting the pneumonia rate saved lives and reduced a ``substantial economic burden on the health system and families''.
It was ``especially pleasing'' to find the vaccine preferentially prevented the ``most severe forms of pneumonia'' - associated with the highest mortality.
Prof Hill hoped the results would reassure low-income countries that had not yet introduced the vaccine that spending money on it and delivering it with reasonable coverage would cut severe pneumonia rates in children.
The Pneumococcal Surveillance Project was led by Dr Grant Mackenzie, and Prof Hill has also played a leadership role since the project's inception.
The Gambia Government, through its ministry of health and social welfare, and the MRC Unit The Gambia have worked collaboratively to determine the impact of the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) on pneumonia.
A leading infectious disease journal, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, recently published the study, which was the first comprehensive evaluation of the impact of PCV on pneumonia in a low-income country, he said.
