| IVD objectives
Over 12.5
million children born every year in the South-East Asia Region still do not
have access to immunization services. Millions of the Region’s children have
no access to vaccines that are routinely given to children in the
industrialized world. A lack of
financial resources continues to impede the introduction of new vaccines. In
the Region, it is estimated that about 500 000 children die, each year,
before the age of five, from a vaccine-preventable disease.
While
great strides have been made in strengthening immunization services
worldwide, demonstrated by progress towards polio eradication, significant
problems remain to be tackled. To
address these challenges, IVD has organized its activities to cover
objectives in three broad areas: Accelerated disease control, Immunization
systems strengthening and Innovation.
Accelerated disease control
Through
all of its activities, IVD works to reduce the harmful impact of
vaccine-preventable disease. In
certain instances, normally in support of globally agreed goals and
objectives, efforts are more intensely concentrated on supplementing routine
immunization services with additional activities to achieve control,
elimination or eradication goals.
Currently,
ending transmission of wild poliovirus and certifying the South-East Asia
Region as polio-free is the most important objective. Despite a dramatic
decline (by more than 99%) in the number of reported number of cases of polio
since the initiation of the global polio eradication efforts, wild polio
transmission still continues in the Region. India is now the only polio-endemic
country in the Region.
IVD is
also committed to the goals of eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus and,
as a major new focus of activity, controlling measles mortality. In the year
2000, it was estimated that 202 000 children died of measles-related
illnesses in South-East Asia alone. IVD is committed to the global goal of measles mortality
reduction which is to cut by 50% the number of children who die of measles
related complications by 2005 compared to 1999.
Immunization systems strengthening
National
immunization programmes exist in all countries in the Region but many of
these programmes fail to reach all of the children who rely on the system for
protection. IVD supports countries of the Region in efficient delivery of
immunization services so that an adequate supply of safe, quality vaccines
are distributed and locally appropriate immunization technology is utilized
domestically.
One of
the greatest challenges for IVD is building on the experience and
infrastructure established for polio eradication, so that regional capacity
for planning, surveillance and implementation of routine immunization
services, with effective reach to the district level, is achieved in a manner
that is technically sound and sustainable.
Innovation for new vaccines
Activities
in this area target the research, development and introduction of new
vaccines or immunization-related strategies and technologies that reduce the
burden of vaccine-preventable disease. Much of the work is in support of the
GAVI-funded introduction of vaccine against hepatitis B and related
technologies. It also covers the implementation of innovations elaborated in
the Regional Vaccine Policy. Ultimately, IVD’s aim
is to ensure that decisions regarding the introduction of new and innovative
technology are taken on a rational basis using sound criteria that bring
maximum benefit to the people of South-East Asia.
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