MRC, BMGF and NIH
MRC is involved with a number of projects that are directly or indirectly supported
by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). In one of these examples, MRC has
interactions with the BMGF-funded Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation
(GAVI) and is an advisor to the GAVI-sponsored PneumoADIP (Accelerated Development
and Introduction Plans for Pneumococcal vaccines).
The research
Pneumococcal pneumonia kills over 1.6 million people a year, mainly in the developing
world. A large clinical trial led by Professor Felicity Cutts showed that vaccination
could save the lives of the hundreds of thousands of children in developing countries
at risk from this deadly form of pneumonia. The team followed over 17,000 young
children in The Gambia, where pneumococcal pneumonia is the leading cause of death
in children under two. Vaccination reduced mortality by 16 per cent and was 77 per
cent effective in preventing bloodstream infection with pneumococci of the types
included in the vaccine. There was also a 37 per cent drop in the number of children
with pneumonia confirmed by chest X-ray.
The project
The trial, a six-year collaboration between MRC scientists and colleagues at
the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, was co-sponsored by the MRC
and the USA National Institutes of Health (NIH), with extra support from the BMGF
via PATH. Wyeth Vaccines donated vaccines for the trial and for a vaccination campaign
of children in the study area after the trial ended.
The GAVI Alliance was launched in 2000 at the annual meeting of the World Economic
Forum in Davos. It includes among its partners developing country and donor governments,
the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry
in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies,
NGOs and BMGF. It is estimated that more than 2.3 million early deaths will have
been prevented as a result of support by GAVI up to the end of 2006.
Quotation: Professor Felicity Cutts is the Principal Investigator for
the project.
"The past five years have seen major advances in financing of immunisation,
including creation of the GAVI Alliance fund, the International Finance Facility
for Immunisation, and the G7 Advance Market Commitment plan, that has provided
$1.5 billion for a pilot of this financing approach using pneumococcal conjugate
vaccines. Thirty GAVI-eligible countries have expressed interest in introducing
the vaccine by 2010, with the biggest response from Africa, due in large part
to the demonstration in The Gambia of the life-saving potential of these vaccines.
The importance of pneumonia as a major cause of child mortality has also been
recognised, and highlighted by a new International Health Partnership, launched
in Sept 2007 by Gordon Brown, who noted, 'Our vision today is that we can triumph
over ancient scourges and for the first time in history conquer polio, TB, measles
and then with further advances and initiatives, go on to address pneumococcal
pneumonia, malaria and eventually HIV / Aids.'"
Contact:
Professor
Felicity Cutts
Links:
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
PneumoADIP
PATH
International Health Partnership
WHO position paper on pneumococcal conjugate vaccines
