 |
The First Symposium on Pneumococcal Vaccination
in the Asia-Pacific Region |
| Lotte Hotel, Seoul, Korea December 13-14, 2007 |
| Symposium Agenda Provisional symposium agenda is attached |
| The International Vaccine Institute The GAVI Alliance PneumoADIP Sabin Foundation with participation of the World Health Organization |
Watch the press briefings on the conference! |
| Leading experts, policymakers, decision-makers, and opinion leaders from more than 20 countries from the Asia-Pacific Region are going to gather in Seoul, Korea on December 13-14, 2007 to address obstacles and propose solutions to fight against childhood pneumonia, considered the first cause of children's deaths in developing countries around the world. Among all child deaths associated with pneumonia, 50% are associated with the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae which is believed to cause 700,000 to 1 million deaths annually among children less than 5 years of age. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines capable of protecting against seven of the most common serotypes of this organism are currently available for introduction into routine infant immunization programs. These vaccines could potentially save about half a million lives every year. |
| North America and many countries in Europe have already introduced pneumococcal conjugate vaccines showing a drastic reduction in the incidence of this disease. Introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines is underway in many countries in the Americas, and African Governments have also expressed great interest in the deployment of these vaccines only impeded by financial considerations. In contrast, countries in the Asia-Pacific Region, with the exception of Oceania, have been more reluctant to adopt these vaccines into their immunization programs. Among the many reasons for the failure of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines to be rapidly deployed as tools in Asian countries is the unknown and likely underestimated disease burden caused by invasive pneumococcal disease. This limited disease burden information has also been accompanied by uncertainties about the feasibility and impact of introducing pneumococcal vaccines in immunization programs, vaccine supplies and the expense of the currently internationally licensed vaccine. |
| The First Symposium on Pneumonia and Pneumococcal Vaccination in the Asia-Pacific Region aims at addressing some of these gaps and will offer an opportunity for participants to share information and exchange insightful views on how to better address the issues surrounding pneumococcal disease. |
| The Symposium is expected to keep the momentum generated by the new financing initiatives promoted by the GAVI Alliance and its donors, who have pledged more than $1.7 billion for the purchase of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. This undertaking represents an ambitious plan endorsed by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunization, in which WHO recommended introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for all countries, especially those with a high burden of pneumonia mortality. |
|
The Symposium, which will be the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific Region, has been conceived as a series of lectures, and roundtable discussions designed to maximize dialogue between participants. It consists of four main sessions: - Understanding pneumococcal disease and pneumococci - Pneumococcal vaccines and vaccination strategies - Demand, supply and financing of pneumococcal vaccines - Vaccine introduction issues, including country experiences, and the decision-making process at the country level.
|
| We strongly believe that the First Symposium on Pneumococcal Vaccination in the Asia-Pacific Region will serve to generate political will for prevention of pneumonia and pneumococcal disease and to develop concrete action plans that help countries in the Asia Pacific Region to accelerate the introduction of pneumococcal vaccines into the routine immunization programs in a sustainable fashion. |
| Further information can be obtained from: |
| Dr. Luis Jodar, Deputy Director General |
| Contact: |
| Ms. Eunyoung Kim |
| International Vaccine Institute |
| San 4-8 Bongcheon-7-dong |
| Kwanak-ku Seoul Korea 151-818 |
| E-mail: eykim@ivi.int |
| Fax: 82 2 872 2803 |
| Further information about the International Vaccine Institute and its activities can be obtained from its website at www.ivi.int |
|
|
