Global health experts urge early immunisation(IANS x 8 December 2005) New Delhi - An early decision on including vaccines for diseases like meningitis and pneumonia in the immunisation programme can help save millions of infant lives, global experts said here Thursday. "These are vaccine preventable diseases that would not only save lives but also reduce the disease burden on the government while ensuring better lives and economic benefits for the family," said John R. Wecker, director immunisation solutions, of the US-based NGO PATH. PATH is one of the partners of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), a major health care initiative, which is holding its third partners' meeting here to chalk out plans for affordable vaccines and help countries step up immunisation programmes. A public-private partnership set up five years ago, through funding from 11 countries and organisations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, GAVI has been focusing on increasing access to vaccines among children in developing and poor countries. "At this point we have to decide how many kids have to die before a decision is taken on use of vaccines to prevent these life-threatening diseases," said Rana A. Haijeh, project director of GAVI Hib Vaccine Initiative at a briefing for the media. India is one of the major beneficiaries of the GAVI initiatives both in the development of vaccines and also study of various disease burdens and scaling up immunisation plans. "While the pharmaceutical companies here have been focusing on producing generic versions of vaccines in use, basic research is also being undertaken with the active support of the Department of Biotechnology. India is also participating in surveillance and has shown great commitment to research," said Wecker. India supplies more than 60 percent of the world's requirement of basic vaccines procured by UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund). "The costs of vaccines remain relatively high even with GAVI support, raising worries about nations being able to sustain supply and immunisation programme. We are helping the governments, including in India, to know the burden of the disease," said Haijeh.In the case of pneumococcal disease - a bacteria found in the upper tract of healthy children and adults which can cause a range of infections from ear infection to fatal pneumonia - India is estimated to account for about 250,000 or one-fourth of the global deaths annually. Even 60 percent immunisation has been found to be very effective against the disease. The same is the case for other diseases including Japanese encephalitis, which is a major problem mostly in Asian countries. In 70 percent of the cases, either the person dies or ends up with life long disabilities. Work is on to test the efficacy of Japanese encephalitis vaccines in Andhra Pradesh, where it has shown great efficacy. On cards are plans to introduce a Chinese vaccine for Japanese encephalitis in the immunisation programme in high-risk areas like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Out of GAVI's $37 million budget for Hib or haemophilus infuenza type B - a bacteria that causes severe pneumonia and meningitis - India receives $9 million for setting up testing facilities in Vellore (Tamil Nadu), Chandigarh and Kolkata for surveillance and diagnostics. Though an effective vaccine is available, it is still too expensive with only one manufacturer producing it. GAVI hopes to have at least five manufacturers meeting the demand for affordable vaccines by 2007. |
|