Communicable diseases continue to account for an unduly high proportion of the health budgets of developing countries. According to The world health report,1 acute diarrhoea is responsible for as many as 2.2 million deaths annually. Acute respiratory infections (primarily pneumonia) are
another important cause of death, resulting in an estimated 4 million deaths each year. Analysis of data on lung aspirates appears to indicate that, in developing countries, bacteria such as Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae, rather than viruses, are the predominant pathogens in childhood pneumonia.b-Lactamase-producing H.influenzae and S. pneumoniae with decreased sensitivity to benzylpenicillin have appeared in different parts of the world, making the surveillance of these pathogens increasingly important.