Meningitis Organisations Worldwide Call on Asia Pacific Governments to Protect Children from Deadly Pneumococcal Disease

Data presented this week at the 6th International Symposium for Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD-6) confirms that a universal pneumococcal vaccination programme would reduce the incidence of pneumococcal disease (PD) infection and save the lives of children.

Pneumococcal disease is the number one vaccine-preventable cause of death in children younger than 5 years of age.[1]

For the first time a significant collection of data about the health and economic benefits of the PD vaccination is available to Asia Pacific governments and health authorities, supporting the call for childhood vaccination programmes in all countries.

President of the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (COMO), Bruce Langoulant said, "With such powerful and persuasive data now available, I urge governments across the Asia Pacific to act swiftly and do everything they can to include a universal pneumococcal vaccination programme in their national immunisation schedule."

"By vaccinating our children against pneumococcal disease we have the ability to help protect not just children but the broader community and in particular parents and grandparents.

One paper presented at the symposium assessed the disease burden in children younger than five in South East Asia. It compared the number of cases of PD in the Western Pacific to this population and identified an alarming rate of vaccine preventable PD in South East Asia.

Currently, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV-7, Prevenar?), is the only vaccine to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease in infants and children younger than 24 months. Australia has seen a dramatic reduction since it was introduced in January 2005 and New Zealand has included PCV-7 as part of their national immunisation programme. The focus is now on the other countries across

Asia Pacific.

"The Hong Kong Government has made significant progress towards achieving success. COMO congratulates them for taking the steps necessary towards the inclusion of the pneumococcal vaccine on their National Immunisation Programme. Let's hope they are the first of many other Asia Pacific countries to do so," said Langoulant.

"Now is the time for all health authorities to recognise the importance of protecting infants and young children against pneumococcal disease," said Langoulant.

Linda Gibbs

COMO Officer

Ph: +61 8 9489 7791

E: [email protected]

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccine preventable deaths and

About COMO

The Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (COMO) was founded in September 2004, at the close of the first World Conference of Meningitis Organisations (WCMO). Attended by 43 delegates representing 20 meningitis and children's health organisations from 14 countries, the WCMO allowed attendees to learn and share best practices about education, awareness and support programs.

Encouraged by the information shared at the meeting, 20 meeting delegates formed COMO in order to help support the fight against meningitis globally by emphasizing the global burden of the disease and supporting the establishment of new meningitis and children's health organisations.

The Confederation of Meningitis Organisations' mission is to assist member organisations to be sustainable, identifiable and influential sources for information and support services for those people affected by meningitis in their regions and united in their endeavours globally through their membership of COMO, which is committed to the elimination of meningitis and septicaemia.

SOURCE: Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (COMO)

--Distributed by AsiaNet ( www.asianetnews.net )--

• ข่าวPneumococcal Disease
• ข่าวMeningitis
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• ข่าวo:asn
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