By Elizabeth Elachi | Project Leader
Dear partners,
Pneumonia remains one of the most dangerous infections for children living with sickle cell disease (SCD). Because their immune systems are weakened and their spleens often fail early in life, these children cannot fight bacterial infections the way other infants can. A simple respiratory infection can escalate rapidly into severe pneumonia, lifethreatening sepsis, or prolonged hospitalization. In rural communities across Nasarawa State, where access to enhanced vaccines is limited, pneumonia continues to claim the lives of vulnerable infants.
Our project, Enhanced Vaccines for Sickle Cell Kids in Nigeria, directly addresses this threat. With your support, we are providing the critical vaccines that protect sickle cell infants from the bacteria most responsible for severe pneumonia. These vaccines—PCV13, PPSV23, and meningococcal vaccines—are not part of Nigeria’s routine immunization schedule, and most families cannot afford them. By removing this financial barrier, we are giving children the protection they urgently need.
In the coming months, our team will deliver newborn genotype testing and fully funded enhanced vaccines across Keffi, Karu, and Toto LGAs. Early diagnosis ensures that infants with SCD are identified before they fall seriously ill. Early vaccination ensures they receive the lifesaving protection that prevents pneumonia from taking hold. Together, these interventions dramatically reduce emergency hospitalizations, painful crises, and the catastrophic medical expenses that families face when a child becomes critically sick.
Your donation is helping us stop pneumonia before it starts. A gift of $21 CAD provides the full set of enhanced vaccines for one child, shielding them from deadly infections like pneumonia and meningitis. A gift of $69 CAD fully immunizes three infants, giving families hope for a healthier future.
Thank you for standing with these children. With your support, we are preventing avoidable deaths and giving sickle cell infants the chance to grow, thrive, and live beyond the shadow of pneumonia.
Warmly,
By Elizabeth Elachi | Project Leader
By Elizabeth Elachi | Project Leader
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser