Drug firms
donate vaccines to fight disease in developing countries
Washington,
5 April 2000 - Some
of the world's largest drug makers will donate millions of doses of key vaccines
to combat malaria, hepatitis B, polio and other diseases in developing countries,
according to UN Wire Business Weekly, an online news service supplied by the
National Journal Group.
The donations, valued at
more than $150 million, were announced after US President Bill Clinton met with
industry leaders, foundations and international public health organizations
(Terence Hunt, Associated Press, 2 March).
The announcement follows
Clinton's launch last month of the Millennium Vaccine Initiative, which calls
for a major boost in vaccine efforts and a $1 billion tax credit for drug companies
that invest in vaccine development.
Among the donations are:
- Merck will donate 1 million doses of hepatitis B vaccine over five years,
and will enhance its efforts to develop vaccines against HIV/AIDS and other
diseases;
- American Home Products will give UNICEF 10 million doses of Haemophilus influenza
B vaccine in order to prevent pneumonia and meningitis;
- SmithKline Beecham will expand its malaria vaccine program, beginning a trial
project this fall in Gambia; and
- Aventis Pasteur
will donate some 50 million polio vaccine doses to Africa and will continue
work on an HIV/AIDS vaccine (Steve Sternberg, USA Today, 2 Mar).
GAVI Draws Interest From
Developing World
Meanwhile, the first
phase of the new Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) has drawn
a surge of interest from the developing world, the World Health Organization
reports.
According to the WHO, GAVI
has received detailed reports on immunization needs and activities from nearly
50 developing countries. "We issued a call for expressions of interest and the
results were more encouraging than anyone could have anticipated," said UNICEF
Executive Director Carol Bellamy, a member of the GAVI board. "Early and enthusiastic
interest on all sides demonstrates the teamwork and commitment essential to
achieving universal child immunization."
Uganda is one of the countries
that sent an ea
rly response to the GAVI alliance. "In my country, the process
of health system reform has highlighted some gaps in delivery of vaccines,"
said Ugandan Health Minister Chrispus Kiyonga. "We are now seeking solutions
to overcome these problems."
Most countries responding
to the initiative currently have or are developing multi-year immunization plans.
Even in countries with scarce resources, national budgets are bearing all or
nearly all of the costs of such programs. In many cases, countries are interested
in integrating hepatitis B vaccines into their immunization schedules but lack
of funding has proven to be an obstacle.
"The message here is that
if the international community can find ways to make vaccines more affordable
to low income countries, the countries will meet us halfway by investing the
necessary resources in people and systems that will get those vaccines to children,"
said WHO Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland, chair of the GAVI board. All
countries with incomes of less than $1,000 per capita were invited to submit
an "expression of interest" to the GAVI project. The United States and the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation are two benefactors of the GAVI project.
The Clinton administration
recently announced plans to secure $50 million in funding for GAVI that would
go toward critical research for malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS vaccines.
"The Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation is committed to ensuring that every child has access to lifesaving
vaccines, regardless of where they live," said foundation President Patty Stonesifer.
"We are pleased to support GAVI and its mission of helping to speed the development
and distribution of vaccines, which could help save the lives of more than 3
million children annually" (WHO release, 2 Mar).
This item was published
in UN Wire Business Weekly, 9 March 2000: Copyright, National Journal Group,
2000. To sign up for free access to this service, go to www.unfoundation.org
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