The May 13 roll-out of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in India represents a momentous step forward in t
he globa
l
char
ge
against childhood pneumonia. Beginning in Himachal Pradesh, the Government of India aims to reach millions of children in the coming years through a state-by-state scale-up, according to the
official press release
.
Global health leaders are celebrating the addition of PCV to India's Universal Immunization Program (UIP), which is
supported by Gavi
, the Vaccine Alliance
.
In a Global Health NOW Q&A, Dr.
Kate O'Brien, executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC), describes the significance and expected impact of India's decision.
Pediatricians expand upon this "laudable milestone for India and the world" in an Asian Age op-ed.
Join us in celebrating this achievement on social media! Visit
StopPneumonia.org for share graphics and suggested posts.
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Stop Pneumonia Blog
What surprised third place winner Joshua Oluchukwu Lawrence during his research? That his community's "ignorance falls mostly in the m
ode of transmission," he says. "There are misconceptions that sleeping on the floor and on bare tiles or eating too much beans can cause
pneumonia. Some people even say pneumonia is demonic."
Child health champion Kevin Watkins captures the inequities underlying pneumonia in a recent op-ed. "Pneumonia is a disease of poverty," writes Watkins, Chief Executive of Save the Children UK. "It remains an 'orphan disease' that attracts limited funding and is neglected in national policy." If the world makes the fight against pneumonia a priority and acts decisively on vaccines, he posits, then millions of lives will be saved between now and 2030.
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A new report from RESULTS UK,
O
wning it: Turning immunisation commitments into action
,
explains how political leadership, sustainable financing, and improved program and policy implementation are three essential elements that need to be reinforced if we are to ensure all children receive all recommended vaccines.
Good News on U.S. Government Budget
In early May, Congress released the
FY 2017 Omnibus bill (and
explanatory statements), which provides funding for the U.S. government-including U.S. global health programs-through the rest of the fiscal year. The good news: Funding for tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, vulnerable children, and global health security increased compared to FY 2016. The Kaiser Family Foundation provides a summary and table of budget updates.
Save the Children and Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) applauded Congress for sustaining and, in some cases, increasing funding for poverty-focused and humanitarian relief accounts, as well as early childhood programs in the US.
Updates on Global Vaccine Introductions
The latest quarterly report from VIEW-hub, IVAC's data visualization platform
, highlights the introduction of
rotavirus vaccine in Cote d'Ivoire and Pakistan this quarter
. Current and archived reports, as well as the PowerPoint slide deck with the latest report graphics and maps
, are available online.
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Time to Get Seriously Silly: Today is Red Nose Day!
 Each year, Red Nose Day uses big, red clown noses to
raise money to end poverty and help kids most in need. From now until June 15, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match every dollar raised for the Red Nose Day in America campaign through Facebook, up to $1 million.
Find out how you can get involved. Take part in the conversation on May 25 (today!) and show your support by using
#RedNoseDay. The
social media kit includes additional content for you to share and spread the red!
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IVAC team is in the planning stages of the
2017 Pneumonia and Diarrhea Progress Report. We need your input on how to strengthen this annual resource. Please complete
this survey so we can help meet your advocacy needs this World Pneumonia Day (Nov. 12)!
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