Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - November 15, 2007
For the haves, the situation is stable. Affluent, industrialised nations enjoy access to life-saving vaccinations. In countries like the United States, France and Spain, inoculations have become routine, with new vaccines quickly made available to protect the most vulnerable - our children. For the have-nots, the situation is dire. Without dramatic action on a global scale to expand access to existing vaccines and accelerate the development of new ones, leading childhood killers will continue to take lives.
The most common of these killers is pneumococcal disease, which causes pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis, and claims the lives of 1.6 million people annually, half of whom are children under the age of five.
Sadly, children with HIV/Aids are up to 40 times more likely to get pneumococcal disease, and in Thailand where rates of HIV/Aids are high, pneumococcal disease places an additional burden on the national health system.
History with new vaccines shows us that we face two major challenges. First, we must encourage the development of vaccines that are needed in developing countries. Second, we must make sure that once developed, these vaccines are scaled up and rolled out to the children who need them the most. In the past, it often took 15-20 years for life-saving vaccines to reach even 20% of the children in the world's poorest countries.
Traditionally, the challenge has been ensuring that vaccines are developed to meet the needs of poorer nations and are accessible for those who are least able to pay. Today, new funding mechanisms and partnerships are working to overcome these obstacles. By investing directly in the development of vaccines, governments and philanthropies are assuring that researchers discover new vaccines against old scourges like TB and malaria. Similarly, by providing funding to assure there will be a credible market for these vaccines in poor countries, these same donors enable developing countries to access these vaccines earlier and at more affordable prices. These funding advances have created a tremendous opportunity to save lives, and the time for action is now.
This is precisely the charge of the Pneumococcal Awareness Council of Experts (PACE), an international working group of 15 of the world's leading experts in infectious disease and vaccines chartered to raise awareness of pneumococcal disease and advocate for its prevention. PACE is leading the call for increased cooperation among physicians, lawmakers, heads of state and drug makers to create vaccines and distribute them to the neediest nations.
Drug makers and governments have to join forces to find market-based solutions for market-based problems that have hindered vaccine production. The general public must make vaccine creation and distribution a top-priority item on the world's health improvement agenda, and remind our world leaders that the price of inaction is counted in lives lost needlessly to preventable diseases.
The above article has been co-authored by Dr Somsek Lolekha, President of the Medical Council of Thailand; Dr Ron Dagan, PACE Council Member and Professor, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Soroka Medical Centre and President of WSPID; and Dr Ciro A de Quadros, PACE Co-Chair and Executive Vice-President, Sabin Vaccine Institute.
071115
BP071104
Copyright © 2007 - The Bangkok Post. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Bangkok Post.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2007. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2007. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .