In this Issue

• Note from the Chairs
• Two Weeks to World Pneumonia Day: Time to Get Involved!
• Rwanda Sees Benefits of Increased Pneumococcal Vaccination Rates
• WHO Grants Prequalification to Prevenar 13
• USAID Releases Strategy for Achieving the MDGs
• United Nations Secretary General Calls for Action on Maternal and Child Health, Receives $40 Billion in Funding Commitments at UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals
• Pneumonia's Last Syrah
• Champion Spotlight: Rhone Rangers
• Member Spotlight: David Murdoch
• Flooding in Pakistan: PACE Member Zulfiqar Bhutta Speaks Out
• PACE Co-chair Ciro de Quadros Receives Award from Spain's Royal National Academy of Medicine
• Dr. Hans Rosling Documentary
• In Memoriam - Dr. Calil Kairalla Farhat
• Upcoming Events
• About PACE
• About Sabin

Note from the Chairs

Dear Colleagues:

Fall 2010 is an exciting time for global health advocates. Significant progress was made at the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit in New York in September, which concluded with the adoption of a global action plan to achieve the MDGs on schedule, as well as the announcement of a major new funding commitment—$40 billion— for women and children's health.

But with the 2015 target for achievement of the MDGs quickly approaching, there still remains much ground to cover. Reports show that child deaths are falling, but not quickly enough. For PACE, achieving MDG 4 – a two-thirds reduction in child mortality – remains a clarion call.

Pneumonia continues to be the leading killer of children under age five. World Pneumonia Day – this November 12 – is a prime opportunity for the global health community to reaffirm its commitment to combating the world’s leading child killer. As PACE supporters, it’s imperative that we continue to spearhead efforts that prioritize and fund measures to prevent, protect and treat pneumonia.

Please visit www.worldpneumoniaday.org for a list of ways you and your organization can help make a difference this November 12.

Regards,
Ciro de Quadros and Orin Levine
Co-Chairs

News and Updates

Two Weeks to World Pneumonia Day: Time to Get Involved!

The second annual World Pneumonia Day is only two weeks away! There are many ways that you can get involved to help combat pneumonia, the number one killer of children under age five. Listed below are several things you can do to show your support.

1. Urge top political leaders to take action against pneumonia
Heads of state, members of Parliament, members of Congress and other political leaders from both industrialized and developing countries have the power to act and allocate funds to fight this tremendously under-resourced problem. You can tell your representative how important it is that we stop the deaths of more than 1.5 million children each year. Our leaders will not act unless we do. Click here to send a message to your public officials today.

2. Spread the word--no matter if you're online, off-line or standing in line!
There are many easy ways to build awareness about the toll of pneumonia and the opportunities for its prevention, and we have resources available to assist your effort, which will continue to be updated as World Pneumonia Day approaches. We also invite you to visit and “like” our Facebook page, which posts regular updates on the campaign and lists ways to get involved. We also encourage you Tweet about World Pneumonia Day and add the Fight Pneumonia Save a Child Twibbon to your account!

3. Wear blue on November 12!
Concerned citizens around the world are wearing blue on World Pneumonia Day – from buttons to blue jeans to shirts to ribbons – to show their support for the fight against pneumonia. Don't be shy in asking others to join you in helping to finally raise the visibility of this silent killer.

4. Raise a glass to Pneumonia's Last Syrah
Every time you buy a case of Syrah wine you can help prevent a case of pneumonia. Thanks to the contributions of the Rhône Rangers more than a dozen American wine makers and retailers will contribute $10 to the GAVI Alliance for every case of Syrah sold during the month of November. So stop a case of pneumonia by purchasing a case of wine from one of these retailers.

5. Donate!
For the price of a Starbucks latte, you can give a child a dose of a life-saving pneumonia vaccine or assure that children who get pneumonia have access to the antibiotics they need to recover. Just $10 can fully protect a child against the leading cause of pneumonia. Vaccines not only save lives, but they also increase the productivity and growth of families, communities, and even entire countries. You can make your life-giving gift by visiting the GAVI Alliance or Save the Children websites.

We can all play an important role in supporting World Pneumonia Day and helping to save the lives of children all around the world. Please visit the World Pneumonia Day website to learn more about other ways you can get involved.

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Rwanda Sees Benefits of Increased Pneumococcal Vaccination Rates

Last year Rwanda became the first developing country to introduce pneumococcal vaccine through their national immunization program – a move that is now being praised for achieving remarkable progress in combating the disease.

Through the leadership of the Rwandan government and with the support of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI Alliance), pneumococcal vaccine coverage for children in Rwanda has now reached an astounding 90 percent in just over one year.

"This is the biggest killer that nobody ever talks about….It's only recently that we've been able to get the media and policy makers to begin paying attention to this disease," said PACE Co-Chair Orin Levine on PBS’s The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.

By 2015, an additional 47 countries are expected to introduce pneumococcal vaccine into their national immunization programs. The increase in distribution is largely attributable to the Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) that was negotiated in 2009 between pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer Inc., and international health entities including the World Bank, WHO, UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Through the agreement, pneumococcal vaccines that cost approximately $70 per dose in developed countries will be available to developing countries for a $3.50 co-pay in the first three years.

"We are in an exciting time," Dr. Levine said. "This is an indication of what can happen when we make child health a priority, work in partnerships, and put the funding behind it that is necessary." To read the full article, click here.

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WHO Grants Prequalification to Prevenar 13

In late August, the World Health Organization (WHO) granted prequalification to Prevenar 13, the 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine, for active immunization of infants and children from 6 weeks through five years of age. The WHO prequalification allows for the procurement of Prevenar 13 by United Nations agencies, including the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), governments and other organizations for use in national immunization programs.

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USAID Releases Strategy for Achieving the MDGs

In September, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) released the US strategy for achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The strategy, entitled Celebrate, Innovate, Sustain: Toward 2015 and Beyond, outlines a four-part plan to leverage innovation, invest in sustainability, track development outcomes, and enhance mutual accountability.

The strategy notes that considerable progress has been made since 1990: “thanks in part to vaccines, global measles deaths have dropped by 85 percent from 1.1 million in 1990 to 164, 000 in 2008, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total decline in child mortality over this period.” The report goes on to emphasize the fact that, moving forward, innovation will be key to meeting the MDGs by 2015, for “new vaccines will not produce healthier people if health systems cannot deliver them along with other basic services.” The full strategy is available here.

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United Nations Secretary General Calls for Action on Maternal and Child Health, Receives $40 Billion in Funding Commitments at UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals

Last month, global leaders convened in New York for the Millennium Development Goals Summit, a high-level plenary meeting designed to accelerate progress towards all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. During the three days of meetings, leaders such as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton surveyed the progress that has been made in reaching the internationally agreed upon development goals. Top officials also discussed strategies for expedited action over the next five years.

During the Summit, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and partners called for renewed action on Maternal and Child Health over the next five years. They also announced a five year, $40 billion plan to fund commitments from a host of governments and philanthropic institutions.

The event marked the launch of the UN’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, revitalizing an effort that began with the UN Secretary-General's Joint Action Plan for Women’s and Children’s Health. More than 200 organizations contributed to Global Strategy. Read more about the commitment and the complete strategy here.

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Pneumonia's Last Syrah

On September 20, during the kickoff evening of the Millennium Development Goals Summit in New York, the GAVI Alliance, the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, UNICEF, Save the Children and more than 50 affiliated organizations came together to host “Pneumonia’s Last Syrah” at the Times Center in New York City.

The event - which brought together over 250 guests and 12 wineries - featured a powerful photography contest and exhibit that was judged by NBC Today Show anchor Ann Curry and New York Times columnist Nick Kristof. Keynote speakers included Director of the CDC Thomas Frieden, who shared a compelling story of his own son’s experience with severe pneumonia, and the illustrious New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov, whose metaphor between pneumonia and Syrah laid the groundwork for the event.

At the event the Rhone Rangers, America's leading non-profit organization dedicated to promoting American Rhone varietal wines, stepped up to the plate, committing to donate $10 from every case of Syrah sold in November to the GAVI Alliance . Event photos can be found here.

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Champion Spotlight: Rhone Rangers

It all started with a simple joke posed by wine critic Eric Asimov of The New York Times: “What's the difference between a case of Syrah and a case of pneumonia? You can get rid of the case of pneumonia.” With World Pneumonia Day right around the corner, these words spurred an idea in the mind of PACE co-chair Orin Levine, who made a simple appeal to the wine industry.

In a blog piece in the Huffington Post, Levine called on winemakers and wine retailers to contribute a portion of the proceeds from every case of Syrah sold in the month of November to the GAVI Alliance to help fund affordable vaccines for the world’s poorest countries.

Twelve wineries represented by the Rhone Rangers, America's leading non-profit organization dedicated to promoting American Rhone varietal wines, came forward to support the cause. Cheers to the Rhone Rangers! To join them in the effort to help fund vaccines in recognition of World Pneumonia Day, we encourage you to purchase all of your wines for the holiday season from one of these wineries.

Member Spotlight: David Murdoch

Throughout his extraordinary medical career, PACE member David Murdoch has been drawn to the study of respiratory tract and bloodstream infections, particularly the diagnosis, etiology and epidemiology of pneumonia. Dr. Murdoch’s distinguished career in infectious diseases, clinical microbiology, epidemiology and tropical medicine has taken him to New Zealand, the Duke University Medical Center, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and even to the remote regions of Nepal.

Dr. Murdoch currently serves as a professor and head of pathology at the University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. He also serves as a member of the New Zealand Ministry of Health's Immunization Technical Advisory Group and as chair of the Pneumococcal Surveillance Advisory Group.

In his earlier career, Dr. Murdoch and his wife worked in a far-off mountain region as the only physicians in charge of a small rural hospital, which was so isolated that the nearest road was a 7 day walk away. Working in the hospital was a unique challenge, says Dr. Murdoch, for the availability of electricity, radio, and telephone communication varied from day to day. During his time in Nepal, Dr. Murdoch developed an interest in high altitude medicine, and even co-authored a handbook on the topic. Since leaving Nepal, Dr. Murdoch has remained committed to its people. For the last decade, he has conducted research in collaboration with Patan Hospital in Kathmandu. His current focus is on invasive bacterial and vaccine-preventable infections in children.

Member Updates

Flooding in Pakistan: PACE Member Zulfiqar Bhutta Speaks Out

Our thoughts go out to the people of Pakistan, who continue to cope with the aftermath of the recent, severe flooding that rampaged through the country. The floods – which mark the single worst disaster in Pakistan’s history and one of the most devastating natural disasters the world has seen – have had a particular impact on PACE member Zulfiqar Bhutta, who has been on the front lines, working tirelessly to raise awareness and aid for flood victims. Infectious diseases – including pneumonia – remain a severe threat to millions throughout the country.

In an editorial in The Lancet, Dr. Bhutta described the disaster: “With thousands of families stranded by road sides and river dykes, or moving slowly to safer ground, the scenes are reminiscent of the kinds of population movements witnessed at the time of the partition of India. However, unlike planned migrations of 1947, most families escaped the rising flood waters with barely the clothes on their backs and have lost everything.”

In his article, Dr. Bhutta estimates that a fifth of the entire landmass and most of the fertile agricultural land on either side of the major rivers was submerged, and much of the infrastructure for communication, transport, education, and public health in the affected districts was ruined. According to Dr. Bhutta, elderly people, women, and children—over two-thirds of those affected—were at particular risk of the consequences of flood-related diseases. Furthermore, with 38, 000 reported cases of acute diarrhea and at least one confirmed cholera death, the potential for major cholera outbreaks is significant.

An ardent supporter of PACE, Dr. Bhutta has called upon the global health community to do its part to help the Pakistani people. He notes that, to date, less than a third of the immediate call for US$460 million in assistance has been pledged and little has been received. "In view of the scale of the disaster and estimated losses exceeding $10 billion, indigenous assistance will hardly suffice, and urgent global aid and support is needed,” stated Dr. Bhutta’s, whose editorial is available in The Lancet.

If you wish to donate to the Pakistan relief efforts, you can do so through the State Department.

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PACE Co-chair Ciro de Quadros Receives Award from Spain's Royal National Academy of Medicine

Dr. Ciro de Quadros was honored in October with the prestigious Charles IV Prize for Research in Preventive Medicine and Public Health. The award, presented by HRH Infanta Margarita on behalf of Spain's Royal National Academy of Medicine, was bestowed upon Dr. de Quadros for his substantial contributions to the prevention and control of smallpox worldwide.

The Charles IV Prize is awarded to an individual who has helped with the development and promotion of activities related to improving public health and the progress of biomedical research. The award was created in honor of the early nineteenth century Spanish monarch who promoted various public health initiatives throughout the Spanish empire, including the commissioning of the Spanish physician, Dr. Francisco Javier de Balmis, to tour the world and vaccinate children in all of the Spanish colonies with a smallpox vaccine.

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Dr. Hans Rosling Featured in New Documentary

Hans Rosling – PACE Member, Professor of International Health at Karolinska Institute and co-founder of the Gapminder Foundation – is featured in a documentary that is currently running on Swedish television and on a variety of online sites.

Entitled Rosling's World - A Documentary about Hans Rosling - the 55 minute film by Pär Fjällström tells of the extraordinary life of Rosling. Critics write that his “presentations on global development evokes laughter, rejoice and reflections. He wants everyone to question their prejudices about the world – as he himself has needed to do.” To watch the full documentary, click here.

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In Memoriam - Dr. Calil Kairalla Farhat

After a long battle with cancer, PACE member Dr. Calil Kairalla Farhat passed away on September 8, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The death of Dr. Farhat is a great loss to the entire community of health professionals dedicated to the control of infectious diseases. His numerous achievements in the field of pediatrics and his commitment to public health have served as an inspiration for us all.

Among his many achievements, Dr. Farhat was a founder of the Latin American Society of Pediatrics Infectology and the World Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. He received 39 honors in Brazil and abroad, and was awarded the distinguished Honors Diploma from the American Academy of Pediatrics in recognition of his contributions to the field.

Dr. Farhat was a major force with PACE, and we honor his contributions to the fight to prevent pneumococcal disease. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, colleagues, and friends.

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Upcoming Events

November 12: World Pneumonia Day

November 22: PACE Event — Amman, Jordan

About PACE

A project of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, the Pneumococcal Awareness Council of Experts (PACE) is comprised of leading global experts in infectious diseases and vaccines. The Council raises awareness among policy makers and aims to secure global commitments to prevent pneumococcal disease — a leading infectious killer of children and adults worldwide — working through collaboration and partnership with countries, NGOs, academia and industry to achieve its goals. For more information about PACE and the Global Call to Action, please visit www.sabin.org/PACE.

About Sabin

Sabin Vaccine Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and curing infectious and neglected tropical diseases worldwide and eliminating the tremendous human suffering they cause. The Sabin Vaccine Institute works tirelessly to develop treatments and vaccines for the world's poor and establish networks to ensure these treatments are effectively and efficiently delivered. Sabin is helping to end the suffering of billions of people by fighting infectious and neglected tropical diseases worldwide through major research, development, and advocacy programs. For more information, visit www.sabin.org.