Health Leaders Convene in Korea to Save Lives by Halting the Spread of Pneumococcal Disease in Asia-Pacific Region
According to the World Health Organization, pneumococcal disease claims up to 1.6 million lives worldwide annually, including up to one million children under five years of age, a majority of them living in Asia and Africa. Five of the top ten countries with the highest burden of pneumococcal disease are in Asia: Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia and Pakistan. Pneumococcal disease, which includes pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis (blood poisoning) and ear infections, is becoming an increasing threat worldwide. Antibiotic-resistant infections are widespread and pneumococcal pneumonia frequently follows influenza infections, making it more likely to occur in the event of an influenza pandemic.
“Here in the Asia-Pacific region, we still have a long way to go in addressing pneumococcal disease,” said Dr. Luis Jódar, Deputy Director-General of the IVI. “This symposium is a necessary step if we are to raise awareness among governments and the general public about the magnitude of this dreadful disease. We hope that this unprecedented gathering of regional leadership will enable all of us to find creative ways to expand pneumococcal vaccination across the region”
According to the report “Pneumonia: The Forgotten Killer of Children” published by WHO/UNICEF in 2006, more than half of all pneumonia cases worldwide occur in the Asia-Pacific region. Of the 133 million childhood pneumonia cases around the world in 2005, India accounted for 44 million and China accounted for 18 million. It is estimated that about 50 percent of all child pneumonia deaths are caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacterium, commonly known as pneumococcus.
“Pediatricians like myself have been dealing with the human consequences of pneumococcal disease for years,” said Professor Ron Dagan, President, World Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases. “After treating thousands of patients, I’m pleased that we’re finally to the point where we can offer safe, effective protection by vaccination.”
A pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that protects against seven of the most common serotypes is currently available. Over 15 countries in North America, Latin America, Oceania, Europe and the Middle East have already introduced the vaccine and are showing a drastic reduction in the incidence of this disease. Many African Governments have also expressed interest in the deployment of these vaccines, based on promises of long-term financial assistance from international donors.
In contrast, countries in the Asia-Pacific Region with the exception of Australia and New Zealand have been more reluctant to adopt these vaccines in their immunization programs. This symposium is addressing the many reasons for the delay of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines to be rapidly deployed as tools in Asian countries. The true burden of pneumococcus, the uncertainties about distribution of pneumococcal serotypes and feasibility and impact of introducing pneumococcal vaccines in immunization programs are all topics that will be addressed by opinion leaders from participating Asia-Pacific countries.
Added Orin Levine, Executive Director of GAVI Alliance’s PneumoADIP, “This is a crucial time for millions of children in the Asia-Pacific region. Thanks to the GAVI Alliance and donors to the Advance Market Commitment we now have the opportunity to break with the historical delays of the past and speed life-saving pneumococcal vaccines to all children, everywhere. Beginning with this symposium, a coordinated regional effort to introduce pneumococcal vaccines could make childhood pneumococcal disease virtually unheard of in the Asia-Pacific region in the next few years.”
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About IVI
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is the world’s only international organization devoted exclusively to developing and introducing new and improved vaccines to protect the world’s poorest people, especially children in developing countries. Based in Seoul, Korea, and established as an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme in 1997, the IVI operates under a treaty signed by 40 countries and the World Health Organization, and conducts research in more than 20 countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America on vaccines against diarrheal infections, bacterial meningitis and pneumonia, as well as Japanese encephalitis and dengue fever. For more information, please visit www.ivi.int
About PneumoADIP
The goal of the Pneumococcal Vaccines Accelerated Development and Introduction Plan (PneumoADIP) is to shorten the time between the use of a new vaccine in industrialized countries and its introduction in developing countries by reducing demand uncertainty and achieving an affordable, sustainable supply of vaccines. This novel approach is funded by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI Alliance). PneumoADIP is located at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The mission of PneumoADIP is to improve child survival and health by accelerating the evaluation of and access to new life saving pneumococcal vaccines for the world’s children. For more information, please visit: www.preventpneumo.org. For more information about the GAVI Alliance, please visit: www.gavialliance.org.
About Sabin Vaccine Institute
The Sabin Vaccine Institute is a non-profit public organization dedicated to saving lives by stimulating the development and distribution of vaccines throughout the world. The Institute is committed to continuing the work of Dr. Albert Sabin, developer of the oral live virus polio vaccine, who envisioned the enormous potential of vaccines to prevent deadly diseases. To learn more, visit www.sabin.org
웹사이트: http://www.ivi.int
연락처
Tae Kyung Byun(Public Awareness / Advocacy Officer) 82-2-881-1159
이 보도자료는 The International Vaccine Institute가(이) 작성해 뉴스와이어 서비스를 통해 배포한 뉴스입니다.
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2008년 3월 21일 10:09
