The GAVI announced today that funding for 16 more developing countries (for rotavirus vaccine) and 18 more for pneumococcal vaccines is underway. This step is a great leap in the aims of protecting children against the two leading causes of early death—pneumonia and diarrhea.
The introduction of rotavirus vaccines in Sudan has already commenced, and just recently, announcement has been made that 12 more countries in Africa will receive financial support to introduce these vaccines to the needy people.
Seth Berkley, CEO of GAVI said, “Thanks to our donors and partners, the GAVI Alliance is now delivering on its promise to protect more children across the developing world against rotavirus,pneumococcal disease and other life-threatening yet preventable diseases. The death toll of rotavirus and pneumococcal infections in Africa is particularly devastating, and this is where these vaccines will make the most significant impact, not only in lives saved, but also in terms of healthy lives lived. Immunization enables good health and healthy people are more productive and ultimately fuel economic growth.”
Countries like Angola, Armenia, Ghana, Burundi, and Georgia have been approved to receive funding for more than one vaccine. Out of the 37 countries, 24 are located in Africa. Last Monday, the Executive Committee of GAVI has approved vaccine funding requests from 37 countries—16 countries for rotavirus, 18 pneumococcal vaccines, 5 for pentavalent vaccine, and 12 for different types of vaccines.
The leading cause of severe diarrhea in children under five years old are rotaviruses. In a worldwide count, rotaviruses are the cause of the death of over half a million kids each year. It is also responsible for the morbidity of millions more of children. And because of limited, if not unavailable access to treatment of rotavirus infection, almost half of all deaths are recorded in Africa.
On the other hand, pneumococcal infections also result to other more complicated diseases like meningitis, pneumonia and sepsis. Deaths which record to more than half a million children every year are recorded in Africa and Asia.
WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan explained that “The high number of approved applications for funding for new vaccines in this latest round is yet another milestone in the fight to prevent child deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases. As demand for new vaccines increases further, WHO will continue providing critical support to countries for decision-making on new vaccines, surveillance, and immunization program planning, training, and evaluation.”
Also, Anthony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF said “These new vaccines will prevent millions of children from dying of pneumonia and diarrhea, the biggest killers of children under five. In rolling out these vaccines, we need to focus especially on reaching the children at greatest risk, for it is among the most vulnerable that these vaccines can make the biggest difference, especially if they are combined with better nutrition, sanitation and other critical interventions.”
The GAVI or the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization envisions to fund over forty countries to introduce pneumococcal vaccines and immunize more than 90 million children by the year 2015.
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