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.
Filed under: Commentary on news & events, Public health | Tagged: burden of illness, Dengue, global health, immunization, neglected diseases, vaccine | Leave a Comment »


Uniting to combat neglected tropical diseases: public-private partnership
Today, 13 pharmaceutical companies, the U.S., U.K. and U.A.E governments, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank and other global health organisations announced a new, coordinated push to accelerate progress toward eliminating or controlling 10 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by the end of the decade.
Uniting efforts with NTD-endemic countries, partners pledged to bring a unique focus to defeating these diseases and to work together to improve the lives of the 1.4 billion people worldwide affected by NTDs, most of whom are among the world’s poorest.
Filed under: Commentary on news & events, Public health | Tagged: access to medicines, global health, neglected diseases, Public health | Leave a Comment »