A major cause for infant deaths is the fact that India is home to 1/3rd of the world’s unimmunized children. The 9.6 million unimmunized children in India today account for more than one-third of the 27 million unimmunized children around the world.
Pneumonia is the single largest cause of death among children under five worldwide. Pneumococcal pneumonia (Streptococcus pneumoniae) is the most common cause of severe pneumonia among children in the developing world.
In India, pneumococcal disease is the leading cause of vaccine preventable death and illness among children under 5. It is a major cause of hospitalizations or even death in children under 5 years in the country.
Unfortunately, even when treatment for pneumococcal pneumonia is possible, in the form of a Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine or PCV, the costs associated with treatment can have substantial impact on the financial stability of low-income states.