Advancing Vaccine Affordability To Save Lives From Pneumonia
By: Parag Deshmukh and Dr. Amanda Leach
Parag Deshmukh is the Executive Director of Serum Institute of India. Dr. Amanda Leach is director of vaccine development at the PATH Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access
At least five children – one every 43 seconds – By the time you finish reading this page, you will have died of pneumonia. More than 700,000 children under the age of five die from pneumonia each year, leading to more children than any other infectious disease.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The existence of vaccines can save lives and potentially save many more. But sadly, they still don’t reach enough people.
This gap can be addressed. World Pneumonia Day was recently celebrated and we must commit to protecting people from preventable diseases by supporting access to high-quality, affordable vaccines that can save lives from pneumonia now and help save lives from pneumonia in the future Impact of rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Although pneumonia has many causes, the most common cause of fatal pneumonia in children is pneumococcus. Low- and middle-income countries bear the brunt of this disease burden. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) is the best way to prevent pneumococcal disease, and there are several vaccines available on the global market. In addition to improvements in prevention and treatment, these vaccines are key to lowering the death toll. In addition to lowering infection rates, they also reduce the need for antibiotics.
While good progress has been made towards achieving the goals Pneumococcal vaccine coverage targets for the 2030 Immunization Agenda 90% of people, about 40% There are still 10 million children in the world who have not yet received PCV.
PCV pricing has historically been at the heart of global access challenges. Global rollout efforts so far have focused on accelerating access for low-income economies eligible for financing support from the Vaccine Alliance. This effort ensures affordable prices and enables procurement and implementation investments to ensure broad coverage. While the last mile of work for Gavi-eligible countries has not yet been completed, substantial progress has been made.
More attention is now needed to ensure that countries ineligible for Gavi support are not excluded, including middle-income countries with Gavi. important part global population. Many self-financed middle-income economies have yet to introduce PCV, in large part because of vaccine prices and budget constraints. Procurement of sufficient doses The investment costs for ongoing PCV and other public health programs are too high.
To help address vaccine inequality cost drivers, the Serum Institute of India partnered with PATH to develop 10-serotype PCV (PNEUMOSIL®), which has been prequalified by the World Health Organization and is available on the global market. It is designed to increase inherent affordability while maintaining performance, quality and serotype coverage and is best suited for countries with high disease burden in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Calculated based on target price $2 per dose for Gavi-eligible countries For middle-income countries that are not eligible for Gavi, the vaccine is significantly less expensive than other available PCVs. The savings can support immunization delivery and free up funds to invest in other important public health priorities.
Continuing to ensure that countries have affordable product options is critical to closing immunization gaps and advancing the sustainability of vaccine programmes. PNEUMOSIL® is a great example of how product development partnerships—leveraging the experience and expertise of the private and nonprofit sectors—can advance health equity. For example, in less than five years since its introduction, the vaccine has helped increase global PCV coverage, mostly driven by indiaAdopt the vaccine and quickly achieve 83% coverage. It is also an option for countries that have introduced PCV but face funding constraints. For example, South Africait has achieved a high level of PCV coverage, but faces the budget challenge, Switching TO PNEUMOSIL®.
Ensuring equitable access to PCV will not only save lives of people with pneumonia, but also those with antimicrobial resistance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified pneumococci as Serious antimicrobial resistance threat. the latest one World Health Organization report PCV vaccination was found to be effective in reducing infection rates and antibiotic use, maintaining its effectiveness and recommending “high” vaccination levels for children. farther evidence shows PCV can significantly reduce the prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains and even Reduce resistance antibiotic. Although there are no quick solutions to antimicrobial resistance, increasing coverage with existing vaccines and preventing pneumococcal disease before it occurs is a step in the right direction.
Overall, number Convincingly: Reaching the 90% pneumonia vaccination coverage target would prevent more than 27,000 deaths per year and reduce 1.5 million disability-adjusted life years, each life year equivalent to one year of complete health lost.
But it’s not just about numbers. This is about ensuring these numbers become a reality by providing affordable and accessible disease prevention options and giving every child the opportunity to live a healthy life.
