Pneumococcal Disease
WHO Pneumonia Expert Recognized for Efforts to Ensure Children Receive Life-saving Vaccines
February 1, 2010
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – WHO pneumonia expert Dr. Thomas Cherian will be honored by a group of the world’s leading infectious disease experts today for his pivotal work to accelerate access to vaccines preventing pneumococcal disease, the world’s leading vaccine-preventable killer of children under age five. The Global Leadership Award, given annually by the Pneumococcal Awareness Council of Experts (PACE), will be presented at today’s WHO Global Immunization Meeting in Geneva, and comes on the heels of the Gates Foundation unprecedented $10 billion commitment to fund vaccine research, development and delivery throughout the developing world.
Pneumococcal disease is a bacterial infection that causes life-threatening pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis. Every year, pneumococcal disease takes the lives of nearly 1.6 million people, nearly half of whom are young children in the developing world, where vaccines to prevent the disease are not yet in widespread use.
PACE Applauds Gates Foundation's $10B Vaccine Commitment
January 29, 2010
The Pneumococcal Awareness Council of Experts (PACE) applauds the Gates Foundation's renewed commitment to the miracle of vaccines through today's unprecedented commitment of $10 billion over the next 10 years to research, develop and deliver vaccines for the world's poorest countries.
This investment – coupled with additional commitments from governments and the private sector it will spur – will spearhead the 21st Century as the Century of Vaccines, and help ensure that countries meet Millennium Development Goal 4 – a two-thirds reduction in child mortality by 2015.
2009 Year in Review
January 13, 2010
2009 was a tremendous year here at the Sabin Vaccine Institute as we strove to fulfill our mission of reducing human suffering caused by infectious and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
From the launch of the first-ever World Pneumonia Day, to securing increased US funding for the control and elimination of NTDs, to the start of the GLP toxicology study for the Na-GST-1 Hookworm Vaccine, to the mobilization of scores of African and Asian leaders for sustainable immunization financing, collectively, the Institute led a large number of efforts to address the burden of hundreds of millions of the world’s poorest individuals suffering from treatable and preventable diseases.
World Pneumonia Day Events
PACE has been actively involved in promoting awareness and prevention of pneumonia. Here are some of the activities PACE members organized and participated in for World Pneumonia Day 2009:
- October 26, 2009 - Johannesburg, South Africa
World Pneumonia Day Press Briefing
WHO report says pneumococcal immunization plays role in reducing childhood deaths
October 21, 2009
State of the world's vaccines and immunization
Regional Symposium on New Vaccines
1 - 2 December 2009
Sabin and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) co-hosted the "Regional Symposium on New Vaccines" in Lima, Perú. On December 1-2 over 160 government leaders, physicians, researchers and other concerned stake holders came together to share the latest research on diseases and vaccine developments. Peruvian Minister of Health Dr. Oscar Ugarte Ubillus opened the meeting and stressed the importance of continuing efforts to advance new vaccines as important tools in public health.
World Pneumonia Day
October 9, 2009
November 2nd will mark the first annual World Pneumonia Day created to mobilize efforts to fight pneumonia on a global stage. According to some estimates, this neglected disease is responsible for the deaths of up to two million children each year, potentially killing more children under the age of five than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and measles combined. Thankfully, some of the leading causes of pneumonia are both preventable and treatable – but it is up to the global health community to advocate for action to implement the solutions that are within our reach.
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