New meningitis vaccine launched in Africa
Partnerships key to developing low-cost health tool
A new meningitis vaccine, developed by PATH and the World Health Organization (WHO) through a partnership known as the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP), was distributed for the first time on December 6 in Burkina Faso. The vaccination campaign aims to inoculate 12.5 million people ages one to 29 in Burkina Faso, which has one of the highest meningitis infection rates in Africa. By the end of the year, the WHO plans to have reached 20 million people by expanding the campaign into Mali and Niger.
The new vaccine, called MenAfriVac™, marks the first time in history that a vaccine has been specifically designed for Africa. It is also the first vaccine introduced in Africa before reaching any other continent. In addition, the vaccine represents a new and innovative way to develop health tools quickly and cheaply for the developing world. In order to develop a vaccine at a sustainable price for Africa, MVP partnered with a developing-country vaccine manufacturer, the Serum Institute of India Ltd. MVP then turned to the Serum Institute and Synco BioPartners in Europe to supply raw materials, as well as scientists at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to access the conjugation technology needed to develop the vaccine. In another key step, the WHO earlier this year prequalified the new vaccine—a major milestone that allows for procurement of the vaccine by United Nations agencies, governments, and other organizations for use in national immunization programs.
The resulting MenAfriVac™ vaccine will cost 50 cents per dose, making it affordable to donors, health agencies, and some African governments. This low-cost health tool is the first vaccine to come out of a product development partnership (PDP), or a nonprofit organization with a mandate to research, develop, and support accessibility of new health technologies that target diseases disproportionately affecting developing countries. PDPs are working to develop drugs, vaccines, microbicides, diagnostics, and other health products that target a range of infectious and neglected diseases. PDPs advance global health goals by accelerating the development of products that may not otherwise be created. These products could save millions of lives worldwide.
Developing this lifesaving vaccine highlights a highly successful partnership model and further emphasizes the role of key stakeholders—from the WHO, pharmaceutical companies, PDPs, the US Government, and manufacturers in the developing world—to improve access to much-needed health products.
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