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http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN752840.html

Vaccines could prevent quarter of child deaths

[-] Text [+] By MacInnis

GENEVA (Reuters) - A quarter of child deaths could be prevented by

immunisations, according to the head of a multi-billion-dollar vaccine

procurer, who warned on Wednesday that economic woes could soon damage

public health programmes.

n Lob-Levyt, of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation

(GAVI), said the crisis now gripping financial markets was unlikely to

dampen demand for the AAA-rated " vaccine bonds " that raise money for his

group's multi-year programmes.

But he said a broader downturn would squeeze international aid budgets and

make it harder for impoverished African and Asian countries to invest in

medical services.

" It is going to be tougher for everybody in development, " the British

physician told Reuters in an interview in Geneva, where the eight-year-old

GAVI Alliance is headquartered.

Backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and several donor governments,

GAVI makes advance market commitments to buy vaccines from pharmaceutical

makers and then helps poor-country governments buy, store, and distribute

them.

The organisation estimates its programmes have averted about 3 million

premature deaths and triggered a steady increase in child immunisations

against diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles,

yellow fever and hepatitis B.

" We have demonstrated that a market does exist in the poorest parts of the

world, and it is bringing in a lot of manufacturers, not only from the West

but from the South, from India and elsewhere, " Lob-Levyt said. " That secures

the supply and is driving down prices. "

For example, GlaxoKline was previously the only manufacturer of a

5-in-1 vaccine immunising children against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis,

hepatitis B and Hib meningitis.

It is now also made by Switzerland's Berna Biotech as well as Indian

companies Shantha Biotechnics and Panacea Biotec, who Lob-Levyt said were

drawn into the market because of GAVI's spending. GAVI used $181 million to

buy or secure supply of the vaccine in 2006-2007.

" STAGGERING " POTENTIAL

Lob-Levyt said 20 to 25 percent of the 9 million child deaths worldwide each

year could be prevented through better immunisation coverage with existing

vaccines and the introduction of new ones in the pipeline.

" We could reduce child mortality by up to a quarter just by vaccinations,

which is a staggering thing given the range of diseases, " he said, noting

that new vaccines against pneumonia, diarrhoea and meningitis would also

prevent serious disabilities such as brain damage, deafness, and chronic

lung disease.

In June, GAVI's board, which includes U.N. Agencies, donor governments and

the vaccine industry, also committed to funding vaccines against cervical

cancer, cholera, typhoid, meningitis A, rabies, Japanese encephalitis and

rubella.

But simply procuring vaccines is not enough, Lob-Levyt said. GAVI and its

aid partners have run into problems in countries that lack health workers

and cannot adequately store, dispense and manage immunisation programmes.

About 25 percent of the $1 billion GAVI spent in 2007 was allocated towards

addressing these weaknesses, with money used to train health workers and buy

needed items such as gloves, syringes, refrigerators to keep vaccines cool,

and motorcycles and petrol to allow health workers to reach remote patients.

With aid belts tightened, Lob-Levyt said the public health spending had to

be carefully calculated to ensure, for instance, that mothers visiting a

clinic are able to have their children immunised at the same time they pick

up needed drugs and get other care that is now highly fragmented in poor

countries.

" We are short of development dollars. They have to be made to work

extraordinarily efficiently, " he said.

Lob-Levyt said the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm),

which raises money in capital markets for GAVI, planned to launch a new bond

in late 2008 or early 2009.

IFFIm uses long-term pledges from donor governments including Britain,

France and Norway as collateral to issue top-rated bonds. The World Bank is

its financial adviser.

Market upset should not dissuade pension funds and others from buying the

government-backed securities, Lob-Levyt said.

" We don't think the bond side through the IFFIm is going to be dramatically

affected, " he said. " Our assumption is that there is going to be a stronger

demand for these more secure investments in this rocky world. "

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yeah, yeah http://www.whale.to/vaccine/gavi.html

Vaccines could prevent quarter of child deaths

http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN752840.html

Vaccines could prevent quarter of child deaths

[-] Text [+] By MacInnis

GENEVA (Reuters) - A quarter of child deaths could be prevented by

immunisations, according to the head of a multi-billion-dollar vaccine

procurer, who warned on Wednesday that economic woes could soon damage

public health programmes.

n Lob-Levyt, of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation

(GAVI), said the crisis now gripping financial markets was unlikely to

dampen demand for the AAA-rated " vaccine bonds " that raise money for his

group's multi-year programmes.

But he said a broader downturn would squeeze international aid budgets and

make it harder for impoverished African and Asian countries to invest in

medical services.

" It is going to be tougher for everybody in development, " the British

physician told Reuters in an interview in Geneva, where the eight-year-old

GAVI Alliance is headquartered.

Backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and several donor governments,

GAVI makes advance market commitments to buy vaccines from pharmaceutical

makers and then helps poor-country governments buy, store, and distribute

them.

The organisation estimates its programmes have averted about 3 million

premature deaths and triggered a steady increase in child immunisations

against diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles,

yellow fever and hepatitis B.

" We have demonstrated that a market does exist in the poorest parts of the

world, and it is bringing in a lot of manufacturers, not only from the West

but from the South, from India and elsewhere, " Lob-Levyt said. " That secures

the supply and is driving down prices. "

For example, GlaxoKline was previously the only manufacturer of a

5-in-1 vaccine immunising children against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis,

hepatitis B and Hib meningitis.

It is now also made by Switzerland's Berna Biotech as well as Indian

companies Shantha Biotechnics and Panacea Biotec, who Lob-Levyt said were

drawn into the market because of GAVI's spending. GAVI used $181 million to

buy or secure supply of the vaccine in 2006-2007.

" STAGGERING " POTENTIAL

Lob-Levyt said 20 to 25 percent of the 9 million child deaths worldwide each

year could be prevented through better immunisation coverage with existing

vaccines and the introduction of new ones in the pipeline.

" We could reduce child mortality by up to a quarter just by vaccinations,

which is a staggering thing given the range of diseases, " he said, noting

that new vaccines against pneumonia, diarrhoea and meningitis would also

prevent serious disabilities such as brain damage, deafness, and chronic

lung disease.

In June, GAVI's board, which includes U.N. Agencies, donor governments and

the vaccine industry, also committed to funding vaccines against cervical

cancer, cholera, typhoid, meningitis A, rabies, Japanese encephalitis and

rubella.

But simply procuring vaccines is not enough, Lob-Levyt said. GAVI and its

aid partners have run into problems in countries that lack health workers

and cannot adequately store, dispense and manage immunisation programmes.

About 25 percent of the $1 billion GAVI spent in 2007 was allocated towards

addressing these weaknesses, with money used to train health workers and buy

needed items such as gloves, syringes, refrigerators to keep vaccines cool,

and motorcycles and petrol to allow health workers to reach remote patients.

With aid belts tightened, Lob-Levyt said the public health spending had to

be carefully calculated to ensure, for instance, that mothers visiting a

clinic are able to have their children immunised at the same time they pick

up needed drugs and get other care that is now highly fragmented in poor

countries.

" We are short of development dollars. They have to be made to work

extraordinarily efficiently, " he said.

Lob-Levyt said the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm),

which raises money in capital markets for GAVI, planned to launch a new bond

in late 2008 or early 2009.

IFFIm uses long-term pledges from donor governments including Britain,

France and Norway as collateral to issue top-rated bonds. The World Bank is

its financial adviser.

Market upset should not dissuade pension funds and others from buying the

government-backed securities, Lob-Levyt said.

" We don't think the bond side through the IFFIm is going to be dramatically

affected, " he said. " Our assumption is that there is going to be a stronger

demand for these more secure investments in this rocky world. "

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