September 23, 2024, BANGKOK, Thailand — The International Vaccine Institute (IVI), an international organization with a mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health, held today its second face-to-face Global Council meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, adopting an agenda that includes a special report on IVI’s activities in Africa, remarks and recommendations from IVI State Party representatives, and a request for the Global Council to support the inclusion of leptospirosis on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

The Government of Thailand currently holds the Presidency of the Global Council, with Dr. Opart Karnkawinpong, Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), assuming the presidency and presiding over the second Global Council meeting.

Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI, opened the annual member meeting by highlighting the numerous ongoing global health emergencies, including the resurgence of mpox, the world’s largest-ever outbreak of dengue fever, and the depleted supply of oral cholera vaccine in the face of outbreaks across Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia.

He said, “Vaccine science and global health must always be thought of in context of humanity’s other great challenges, especially when issues of climate change, political conflict, and the rise of antimicrobial resistance are accelerating the spread of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. These diseases also principally threaten the lives of people who are already vulnerable to health insecurity, and a commitment to equity and multilateral cooperation foregrounds our work at IVI.”

Dr. Opart Karnkawinpong, Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, said: “I am confident that robust collaboration between member states and the IVI will bring us significant opportunities for vaccine research and development. This will support countries in human resource development efforts and address the vaccine development gap in a timely manner. By our collaborative efforts in vaccine research, development, and accessibility, we can contribute to improved health outcomes for our population and our global community, enabling billions of people to live healthier and longer lives.”

During the meeting, the Global Council Secretariat and Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health brought to the attention of the council the global burden of leptospirosis, a potentially fatal bacterial disease that is estimated to cause over one million cases every year across 150 countries. Due to its geographic prevalence and disproportionate impact on poverty among other factors, IVI and the Global Council President advocated for the need to officially designate leptospirosis an NTD and create a path forward for its large-scale prevention and control.

Tomorrow, the Global Council members will receive a tour of Thailand’s Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO), led by the Thai MOPH. The participants will have the opportunity to visit the vaccine and biological production facilities and learn more about Thailand’s biomanufacturing capabilities.

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About the International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is a non-profit international organization established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme with a mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health.

IVI’s current portfolio includes vaccines at all stages of pre-clinical and clinical development for infectious diseases that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, such as cholera, typhoid, chikungunya, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, hepatitis E, HPV, COVID-19, and more. IVI developed the world’s first low-cost oral cholera vaccine, pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO), and developed a new-generation typhoid conjugate vaccine that also achieved WHO prequalification in early 2024.

IVI is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea with a Europe Regional Office in Sweden, an Africa Regional Office in Rwanda, a Country Office in Austria, and a Country and Project Office in Kenya. IVI additionally co-founded the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute in Hong Kong and hosts Collaborating Centers in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. 42 countries and the WHO are members of IVI, and the governments of the Republic of Korea, Sweden, India, Finland, Austria, and Thailand provide state funding. For more information, please visit https://www.ivi.int.

CONTACT

Aerie Em, Global Communications & Advocacy Manager
+82 2 881 1386 | aerie.em@www.ivi.int