How to save a million lives a year

Dec 1 2006

A promise of $200 million from some of the world's richest nations to fight diseases in poor countries will save more than a million children's lives a year.

A plan by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI) aims to supply developing nations with newly licensed vaccines for rotavirus and pneumococcus, which the World Health Organization (WHO) says are the biggest preventable causes of death among children in poor countries.

GAVI estimates that 1.5 million children die each year in the world's poorest regions from the diseases and the money will significantly reduce the time it takes to get new vaccines to needy children.

GAVI is funded by the European Union, the United States and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and partners include national governments, the World Bank, World Heath Organization, UNICEF, and non-governmental organizations.

GAVI says the goal is to move quickly to protect the lives of as many children as possible with the vaccines already available and the money means various countries around the world will receive the vaccines quicker.

GAVI Executive Secretary Julian Lob-Levyt says until now, it has taken between 15 to 20 years for vaccines to make it from the rich countries which develop them to the countries most in need and they hope to overcome the barriers that lead to such delays.

Apparently the introduction of the new vaccines will be staggered, the rotavirus vaccine will be introduced in 13 countries in Eastern European and South and Central America, while the pneumococcal vaccine is destined for 10 countries in Africa and South Asia over the next few years.

Geneva-based GAVI plans to increase its operations as new vaccines enter the market and support for introducing them in other parts of the world grows.

A fourth vaccine, a pneumococcal vaccine produced by GlaxoSmithKline, is expected to be available later.

Almost 90 percent of rotavirus deaths occur in the developing world; children with the virus often die as the severe diarrhea and vomiting leads to dehydration.

Pneumococcus is a major cause of pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis, or blood poisoning.

Together, they kill an estimated 1.5 million children each year.

The two rotavirus vaccines are made by British drug giant GlaxoSmithKline and U.S. pharmaceutical firm Merck, while the pneumococcal vaccine Prevenar is made by Wyeth.