The African Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Network: a vaccine advocacy initiative

Wiysonge, Charles Shey; Armah, George; Madhi, Shabir А.; Were, Fred; Kitaka, Sabrina Bakeera; Akoua‐Koffi, Chantal; Grésenguet, Gérard; Gatheru, Zipporah; Maranga, Patrick Wamae; Dicko, Alassane; Falade, Adegoke G; Boula, Angeline; Kuit, Stephanus Benjamin; Odusanya, Olumuyiwa O.; Sow, Papa Salif; Lakhani, Nuruddin; Mpabalwani, Evans; Tamfum, Jean Jacques Muyembe; Hussey, Gregory

doi:10.4314/pamj.v8i1.71081

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 10 publications

(9 reference statements)

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“…The serotypes included in the existing pneumococcal glycoconjugate formulations account for 49 --88% of deaths in Africa and Asia which bear the highest morbidity and mortality burden from pneumococcal disease, and where unfortunately few children have access to these life-saving vaccines [98]. The African Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD) Network is an innovative and sustainable vaccines advocacy initiative which promotes the introduction of newly available vaccines into the Expanded Programme on Immunisation [99]. The African VPD Network is a World Health Organization initiative set up in 1974 with the aim to making vaccines available for all the children of the world.…”

Section: Pneumococcal Vaccination In Developing Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glycoconjugate vaccines: an update

Vella

Pace

2014

Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy

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The maintenance of robust immunisation programmes with high uptake rates is important in maintaining low rates of disease. Epidemiological surveillance systems are essential in monitoring any changes in infectious disease trends and in identifying emerging infections such as from non-typeable H. influenzae, pneumococcal serotype replacement disease and changes in the epidemiology of meningococcal serogroups. This is important to guide future vaccine development. Accessibility of these glycoconjugate vaccines in resource poor regions, which bear the highest disease burden from these pathogens, remains challenging largely due to high vaccine pricing. Recent aids from public and private funding, tiered vaccine pricing and the transfer of vaccine technology have helped in introducing these vaccines where they are most needed.

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Section: Pneumococcal Vaccination In Developing Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glycoconjugate vaccines: an update

Vella

Pace

2014

Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy

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“…The vaccine was shown to be safe and although the vaccine efficacy of 30% is low; these results are encouraging in the quest for the first efficacious malaria vaccine. A strong emphasis was placed on (i) developing and promoting a vaccine advocacy action plan for Africa [ 8 , 9 ] in the Decade of Vaccines, to encourage more allocation of resources for vaccine initiatives on the continent; and (ii) finding ways of ensuring sustainable financing of vaccines at country level [ 2 ]. It was also highlighted that appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that immunisation services meet the needs of recipient communities and that service providers should work with communities to ensure their involvement and participation.…”

Section: Conference Outlines and Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advocating for efforts to protect African children, families, and communities from the threat of infectious diseases: report of the First International African Vaccinology Conference

Wiysonge¹,

Waggie²,

Hawkridge³

et al. 2016

Pan Afr Med J

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One means of improving healthcare workers’ knowledge of and attitudes to vaccines is through running vaccine conferences which are accessible, affordable, and relevant to their everyday work. Various vaccinology conferences are held each year worldwide. These meetings focus heavily on basic science with much discussion about new developments in vaccines, and relatively little coverage of policy, advocacy, and communication issues. A negligible proportion of delegates at these conferences come from Africa, home to almost 40% of the global burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. To the best of our knowledge, no major vaccinology conference has ever been held on the African continent apart from World Health Organization (WHO) meetings. The content of the first International African Vaccinology Conference was planned to be different; to focus on the science, with a major part of discussions being on clinical, programmatic, policy, and advocacy issues. The conference was held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 8 to 11 November 2012. The theme of the conference was “Advocating for efforts to protect African children, families, and communities from the threat of infectious diseases”. There were more than 550 registered participants from 55 countries (including 37 African countries). There were nine pre-conference workshops, ten plenary sessions, and 150 oral and poster presentations. The conference discussed the challenges to universal immunisation in Africa as well as the promotion of dialogue and communication on immunisation among all stakeholders. There was general acknowledgment that giant strides have been made in Africa since the global launch of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in 1974. For example, there has been significant progress in introducing new and under-utilised vaccines; including hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenza type b, pneumococcal conjugate, rotavirus, meningococcal A conjugate, and human papillomavirus vaccines. In May 2012, African countries endorsed the Global Vaccine Action Plan at the World Health Assembly. However, more than six million children remain incompletely vaccinated in Africa leading to more than one million vaccine-preventable deaths annually. In addition, there are persistent problems with leadership and planning, vaccine stock management, supply chain capacity and quality, provider-parent communication, and financial sustainability. The conference delegates agreed to move from talking to taking concrete actions around children's health, and to ensure that African governments commit to saving children's lives. They would advocate for lower costs of immunisation programmes in Africa, perhaps through bulk buying and improved administration of vaccine rollout through the New Partnership for Africa's Development.

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Vaccination: General

Pringle¹,

Greyson²

2022

The International Encyclopedia of Health Communication

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Vaccine communication is key to providing access to vaccination services and building confidence in vaccines. Vaccine communication is studied by scholars working in a number of different disciplines, usually aiming to improve our understanding of vaccine discussions in clinical settings, in public health campaigns, among communities and peers, or around the web. Increasing attention is being paid to the importance of context and culture‐specific settings in which vaccine communication takes place, helping to address the concerns of different populations. The framing and tailoring of vaccine‐related messages are key to expressing the complex science of vaccination to diverse audiences. As the science of vaccines advances, health communication scholarship can draw on all of these approaches to better understand and respond to the challenges ahead.

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The African Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Network: a vaccine advocacy initiative

Cited by 4 publications

References 10 publications

Glycoconjugate vaccines: an update

Glycoconjugate vaccines: an update

Advocating for efforts to protect African children, families, and communities from the threat of infectious diseases: report of the First International African Vaccinology Conference

Vaccination: General

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