UN protects millions of children in DR Congo with anti-measles vaccination

Some 3.1 million children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been vaccinated against measles in a United Nations-coordinated campaign to combat the disease outbreak which has claimed the lives of 1,145 children since the start of this year.

The measles epidemic affected a total of 115,600 children between January and June, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a press release issued yesterday, adding that the vaccination campaign was funded with $1.9 million.

The campaign, which kicked off on 10 May, was coordinated by the UN World Health Organization (WHO) in the provinces of Katanga, Kasai Occidental, Bas-Congo, Equateur and Orientale.  “The funding – equivalent to 61 cents per child – helped protect the health of millions of children,” said Fidèle Sarassoro, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for DRC.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, which mostly affects children. It is transmitted through droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons. Initial symptoms, which usually appear between eight to 12 days after infection, include high fever, a running nose, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth. A rash then develops, starting on the face and upper neck and gradually spreading to the rest of the body.

In malnourished children and people with reduced immunity, the disease can cause serious complications, including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhoea, ear infection, pneumonia and even death.

Source – UN Daily News

Dengue – new site highlights disease information and research

Population growth, urbanization and rapid mass transportation have resulted in an explosive increase in dengue cases – from 1.2 million in 1998 to as many as 500 million annual cases today – and contributed to an ever growing number of countries and people at risk of infection. Dengue is now endemic in over 100 countries across the globe, and is the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral disease.

The Dengue Vaccine Initiative just launched a new site to provide a central resource for information about the disease, vaccines and other efforts.

Substantial progress towards finding a vaccine has been made in the last decade. Several vaccines are in various stages of advanced development, with clinical trials currently underway on five candidate vaccines. Trials in the most advanced stages are showing encouraging preliminary data.

Dengue is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and a leading cause of hospitalization of children in many countries in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. The greatest documented burden of dengue occurs in Asia and Latin America, but the disease is now appearing in previously unaffected areas. The cost of illness to society is considerable, from lost wages and decreased productivity to costs associated with seeking care and direct medical expenses. An estimated 60% of the economic strain caused by dengue is a result of indirect costs. The cost of dengue in the Western Hemisphere alone is estimated at $2.1 billion per year.

 

IFPMA launches NCD Framework for Action

IFPMA (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations) recently released a NCD Framework for Action, highlighting specific areas of action including:  innovation, access and affordability, prevention and health education.  The document underscores the essential role of partnerships in addressing the challenge of non-communicable disease.

Read more about the NCD Framework for Action:

PharmaTimes – IFPMA pledges action on non-communicable diseases

IFPMA – Research-based pharmaceutical industry launches collaborative framework to tackle NCDs

UN releases 2011 report on MDGs

Today, the UN released The Millennium Development Goals Report 2011, highlighting progress and key areas for improvement as we get closer to the 2015 deadline.

Some of the areas of progress cited were:

• The number of deaths of children under the age of five declined from 12.4 million in 1990 to 8.1 million in 2009, which means nearly 12,000 fewer children die each day.
• Increased funding and intensive control efforts have cut deaths from malaria by 20 per cent worldwide – from nearly 985,000 in 2000 to 781,000 in 2009.
• New HIV infections have declined steadily. In 2009, some 2.6 million people were newly infected with HIV – a 21 per cent drop since 1997, when new infections peaked.
• The number of people receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV or AIDS increased 13-fold from 2004 to 2009, thanks to increased funding and expanded programs.