Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), has funded the Pneumococcal vaccines to reduce childhood mortality. The Governments of Central African Republic, Benin and Cameroon will introduce vaccines in the coming weeks to combat pneumonia, one of the biggest killers of children worldwide.
The roll-outs of the pneumococcal vaccines in countries such as CAR, Cameroon and Benin have been made possible through an innovative finance mechanism pioneered by GAVI called the Advance Market Commitment (AMC).
The introductions will take place just a few weeks after the GAVI Alliance Pledging conference where donors committed $4.3 billion. GAVI, which brings together governments, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other key players in global health, aims to provide the vaccine to poor children in over 40 countries by 2015. So far with US$ 1.5 billion from Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Russian Federation, Norway, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and US$ 1.3 billion from GAVI, the AMC allowed augmenting production capacity by two manufacturers(names not disclosed) who currently produce the vaccines. The funding has contributed to ensure that the new generation of pneumococcal vaccines are affordable in developing countries.
Pneumonia, is the major cause of death among children aged below 5 years and the condition is also responsible for meningitis, which can leave survivors with permanent disabilities, including mental retardation and seizures.
“The Governments of Central African Republic and Cameroon will begin introducing the vaccine this week and Benin will begin roll-out this month. This new vaccine gives them hope today that they will grow up healthy and lead a productive future,” said Dr Jean Michel Mandaba, Minister of Health of Central African Republic.
In the past seven months, Nicaragua, Guyana, Yemen, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Mali, DR Congo and Honduras introduced the pneumococcal vaccines.
“The pneumococcal vaccine is essential for African countries where pneumococcus infections account for 19-21 per cent of mortality in children under five,” said Dr André Mama Fouda, Minister of Health of Cameroon.
“Benin, Cameroon and the Central African Republic will introduce the vaccines into their immunisation programmes in July 2011. We hope that other countries in Africa continue to follow this example in order to protect their children,” added Dr Fouda.
“We are determined to fight pneumonia and proud to co-finance this life-saving vaccine. We need to be committed if we wish to sustain our immunisation programmes,” said Professor Dorothée Akoko Kindé Gazard, Minister of Health of Benin.
“On behalf of the GAVI Alliance, we congratulate Benin, Central African Republic, and Cameroon for their leadership in reducing child mortality. Together, we are giving children in these countries the best tools we have available to prevent this life-threatening disease,” said Helen Evans, interim CEO, Gavi.