According to the World Health Organization, pneumococcal infections kill more than one million children each year, which is the same number that die from malaria. Most are infants and young children who die from pneumonia and meningitis. Immunizations are urgently needed because in many countries, up to 90 percent of pneumococcal strains are resistant to first-line antibiotics. Vaccines tailored to prevent the strains that are most prevalent in developing countries are in advanced stages of large-scale testing in Africa and Asia and should be available by 2006.
"In the past, life-saving vaccines have been slow to reach the children who need them the most. Nearly 15 years after Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine was introduced in the United States and other rich countries, less than 10 percent of the children in the world's poorest countries receive this vaccine," explained Orin Levine, PhD, an associate with the School's Department of International Health. "Our aim is to work with national and international partners to accelerate this process by 10 years or more," said Dr. Levine.
The Pneumococcal Accelerated Development and Introduction Plan (ADIP) team at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, directed by Dr. Levine, will bring together experts from the public and private sectors. The team will coordinate efforts to address research, communications, supply, and financing issues that impede the uptake of the vaccine in developing countries. Establishing the burden of pneumococcal disease and the safety and effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccines are major priorities for the ADIP team. As a milestone driven project, the ADIP is a new approach to public-private partnerships for improving global health. The team sets strict project goals, and aligns them with timelines, and budgets. The team's performance will be measured against these objectives by a GAVI oversight board.
"Our approach is a departure from previous vaccine efforts. We will take our scientific data and efficacy results directly to decision-makers in developing countries that have the power to set policy. We will support them in their efforts to establish evidence-based decisions on vaccine introduction," said Mathuram Santosham, MD, MPH, professor with the School's Department of International Health.
The announcement marks the first time that GAVI and The Vaccine Fund will fund vaccine research and development efforts. Since 2000, they have focused primarily on ensuring that today's vaccines are made available to every child, everywhere. An additional $30 million was given to the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) to develop and introduce a safe and effective rotavirus vaccine for the developing world.
"Pneumococcal infections threaten tens of millions of children throughout the world. Better vaccines and better access to vaccines could save their lives. The School and its partners are committed to this effort," said Alfred Sommer, MD, MHS, dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
News releases from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health are available at www.jhsph.edu/Press_Room.