Washington, DC, (PAHO) April 8, 1999: Immunization experts from all over the Americas will meet April 12-16 in Ottawa, Canada to look at vaccine issues and chart the course of immunization programs in the Americas.
The Pan American Health Organization's Technical Advisory Group on Vaccine Preventable Diseases brings together experts in vaccines, disease surveillance, laboratories, research, quality control, safety, financing and production, to discuss key issues. These include measles eradication in the Americas, new horizons in the control of rubella, the re-emerging problem of yellow fever, keeping the Americas polio-free, research on new vaccines, and related topics.
Regional vaccine campaigns save the lives of more than 200,000 children in Latin America and the Caribbean each year, according to PAHO. Currently over 80 percent of children in the Americas under 1 year old are vaccinated against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles and tuberculosis. When PAHO's Expanded Program on Immunization started 20 years ago, that figure was only 25 percent. Thanks to the broad-based support in the hemisphere in promoting vaccination, the Americas are the only region in the world to have eliminated polio and are on track to eradicating measles -- which kills 1 million people worldwide each year -- by 2000. The eradication plan aims for 95 percent vaccination coverage in all districts of all countries in the region and periodic follow-up campaigns targeting pre-school children
Measles eradication in the Americas is a primary focus of the meeting. Since 1994, when Ministers of Health of the Americas adopted the goal of eradicating measles from the Western Hemisphere by the year 2000, the countries have made tremendous progress. PAHO's campaign to eliminate measles from the Americas by the year 2000 succeeded in cutting cases from 250,000 in 1990 to 2,109 in 1996. However, staggered outbreaks occurred in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and other countries last year, resulting in over 10,000 confirmed measles cases. So far in 1999, there have only been 162 cases of measles in the Americas.
Children in the Americas also are receiving new vaccines in their routine immunizations. Today 80 percent of the countries vaccinate against rubella and mumps; yellow fever inoculations are given in all but one of the countries where that disease is endemic; and countries are inoculating for hepatitis B and, increasingly, Haemophilus influenza type B.
Besides its impact on early childhood mortality, PAHO Director Dr. George A.O. Alleyne sees wider applications for vaccine technology to improve health and reduce poverty. He has called for "a major effort for research, development, production and utilization of vaccines," through international and intersectoral cooperation. PAHO has encouraged regional collaborations to improve vaccine development and manufacture.
For example, vaccine production standards and quality-control policies vary widely throughout the countries of the Americas. To assure vaccine quality for all people of the region, governments and vaccine manufacturers are partnering in the Regional System for Vaccines. This network works to standardize reference reagents, promote good manufacturing and laboratory practices, and conduct studies to develop materials and regional reference standards for vaccines. The Pan American Health Organization, founded in 1902, works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health of their peoples and raise their living standards. It serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization.
For further information contact: Daniel Epstein, tel. 202-974-3459 , fax 202-974-3143, Office of Public Information, email epsteind@paho.org, http://www.paho.org.
The schedule for the PAHO meeting, which will be at the Holiday Inn Chaudiere in Ottawa, is as follows:
| Monday, 12 April, 1999 | |
|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m. | Opening of Meeting:
Welcome by Health Canada, Hon. Allan Rock, Minister of Health (invited) |
| 10:00 a.m. | Session 1: Measles Eradication In The Americas Progress in the Americas -- Dr. Ciro de Quadros Lessons Learned from Recent Outbreaks: Case Studies: Argentina; Bolivia; Brazil: Sao Paulo
Discussion and Recommendations |
| Tuesday, 13 April, 1999 | |
| 8:30 a.m. | Session 1 (cont.): CARIBBEAN REGION: Progress in the Caribbean -- Dr. Beryl Irons - Haiti; Dominican Republic - Dr. Zacarias Garib Discussion and Recommendations
REGIONAL LABORATORY NETWORK
Coffee Break
Summary of Measles Surveillance Evaluations -- Dr. Gina Tambini
Session 2: Control Of Rubella: New Horizons |
| 12:30 - 14:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 14:00 p.m. | Surveillance of Congenital Rubella Syndrome and Other
Rubella-Associated Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Canada - Dr. Theresa Tam The Manitoba Outbreaks: Lessons Learned- Dr. Lawrence Elliott Vaccination Strategies Bahamas- Dr. Marceline Dahl-Regis Review of Rubella Surveillance Guidelines- Dr. Beryl Irons Review of CRS Surveillance Guidelines- Dr. Merle Lewis Laboratory Issues in Rubella Surveillance - Ms. Victoria Morris-Glasgow Discussion and Recommendations
Session 3: Maintaining Polio Eradication In The Americas |
| 17:30 p.m. | Adjournment |
| Wednesday, 14 April, 1999 | |
| 8:30 a.m. | Session 3 (cont.): Canada's Working Group on Polio Eradication: Challenges Beyond Certification - Dr. Adwoa Bentsi-Enchill Review of Laboratory Network- Dr. Jorge Boshell Quality Control of Polio Laboratory Network- Dr. Spencer Lee Sustaining AFP Surveillance: Country Reports: Argentina, Brazil
Stopping Polio Vaccinations: When and How? Containment - Dr. Mark Pallansch
Session 4: Neonatal Tetanus Control |
| 12:30 - 14:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 14:00 p.m. | Session 5: Yellow Fever: A Re-Emerging Public Health Problem Overview of the Americas - Dr. Otavio Oliva Country Updates from Brazil, Bolivia, Guyana, Peru,Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela Discussion and Recommendations
Session 6: Progress In The Introduction Of Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Vaccine |
| 17:30 p.m. | Adjournment |
| Thursday, 15 April, 1999 | |
| 8:30 a.m. | Proposal for an Epidemiological Surveillance System of Bacterial
Meningitis and Pneumonia in the Region. - Dr. Jose Luis Di Fabio Discussion and Recommendations
Session 7: Other Diseases Preventable By Immunization
Coffee Break
Session 9: Research And Development Of Vaccines In The Region |
| 12:30 - 14:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 14:00 p.m. |
Joint Ventures Between Public and Private Vaccine Manufactures: The
Brazilian Experience - Dr. Akira Homma Who is Responsible for the Vaccine Quality Used in a Country? - Dr. Otavio Oliva Discussion and Recommendations
A Panel on Vaccine Safety Issues
Coffee Break
Surveillance of Adverse Events: Canadian Experience - Dr. Robert Pless |
| 17:30 p.m. | Adjournment |
| Friday, 16 April, 1999 | |
| 8:30 a.m. | Session 10: Financing Of Immunization Programs World Bank Partnership in Immunization:Pilot Project in Bolivia - Dr. Daniel Cotlear Financing Mechanisms in Colombia - Dr. Socorro Muñoz IDB Perspective - IDB Discussion and Recommendations
Coffee Break
1999 PAHO Immunization Award |
| 12:30 - 14:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 14:00 - 15:00 p.m. | Session 11: Final Report Conclusions and Recommendations |
| 15:00 p.m. | Closure of Meeting |