Luanda – A vaccine against pneumococcus comprised by 13 serotypes, which covers major causative agents of pneumonia in children under five years, will be launched in October of this year nationwide.

The information was released on Tuesday, through a press note from the Ministry of Health, which states that now it is the best vaccine against pneumonia worldwide.

According to the document, in 2013 the rotavirus vaccine will also be introduced so as to reduce children mortality rate due to severe diarrhoea caused by this agent.

According to the epidemiological situation, it was recorded in 2011, about 1.171 cases of respiratory illness, including pneumonia.

It was also recorded 3501 cases of malaria with 6.909 deaths, 31.193 tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS with 14.180, diarrhoeal diseases with 537.575 cases, measles with 13.115, cholera with 2291 and malnutrition with 21.578.