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How Will We Ensure the New Ebola Vaccine Reaches Those Most in Need?

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Tue, 2015-08-11 12:47 — mike kraft

HUFFINGTON POST  by Director of UNDP’s HIV, Health and Development Group, Bureau of Policy and Programme Support      Aug. 10, 2015                                                                 

 We have reasons to be optimistic about the news of a new tool in the fight against Ebola. As in the fight against HIV, science and solidarity have come together to save lives. The phase III trials on efficacy of the VSV-ZEBOV vaccine have yielded an impressive result in a relatively short time -- 100 percent effectiveness in those receiving the vaccine.

While scientists still need to figure out how long the protective effect of the vaccine lasts, and how effective it will be among the general population and with different strains of the virus, without a doubt this is an important tool for the protection of health and community workers and possibly the wider community. This will certainly help in the on-going efforts to achieve the target of zero new Ebola cases and in overall recovery efforts.

But how will this new tool be used? How will it reach those in need? Rapid availability of the vaccine is key and as with all health technologies, access to and delivery of the drug will depend on the capacity of the very health systems that have been decimated by Ebola. Researchers tell us that this particular vaccine has to be kept at -80 degrees Celsius. How will this be done in tropical climates...?

Science can provide much needed solutions. But without the right systems in place, the solutions will not reach those in need. Unfortunately health systems in many places are chronically weak. The response to HIV has shown us that investments in building national and local capacities and systems for health that reach beyond Ministries of Health can yield incredible dividends for individuals and communities.

Read complete story.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mandeep-dhaliwal/ebola-vaccine_b_7967488.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

Country / Region Tags: 
Global
Africa
Guinea
Conakry
Liberia
Sierra Leone
General Topic Tags: 
Contagion
Disease
Health
Science
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Problem
Groups this Group Post belongs to: 
Africa Resilience Initiative
Global Health
Guinea Resilience System
Vaccines
- Private group -

Comments

Tue, 2015-08-11 18:35 — Kathy Gilbeaux

. . . "In the developed world, dry ice is the material of choice for storage temperatures between -60° and -80°C because of its high energy storage by weight, however it is unavailable in the Ebola affected areas. The team identified a phase change material (PCM) designed for -78°C as a potential alternative, however very little information on the material was available. The team quickly started a variety of material studies to determine if it could fulfill the requirements, as well as to understand its performance and use (i.e. become experts very quickly). Thankfully, the -78°C PCM worked, and was able to keep vaccines cold inside the Arktek for over six days, one of the requirements outlined by the WHO and CDC."

http://www.intellectualventureslab.com/invent/modified-arktek-to-support-ebola-vaccine-trials

(CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)
http://resiliencesystem.org/arktek-passive-vaccine-storage-device-p6

howdy folks