Meningitis Vaccine Project
Encyclopedia
The Meningitis Vaccine Project is an effort to eliminate the meningitis
epidemic
in Sub-Saharan Africa
by developing a new meningococcal vaccine
. The meningitis problem in that area is caused by a strain of meningitis called "meningitis A", which is only present in the African meningitis belt
. In June 2010 various sourced announced that they had developed MenAfriVac
, which is an inexpensive, safe, and highly effective vaccine which is likely to stop the epidemic as quickly as anyone had ever hoped that it would.
The project marked the first time that medical research had developed a vaccine to combat a disease which is endemic to and only a problem for Africa.
The project began in 2001 when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
awarded the World Health Organization
and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
(PATH) a US $70 million seed grant to begin research.
awarded the World Health Organization
and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
(PATH) a US$70 million seed grant to launch the Meningitis Vaccine Project.
as a public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa through the development, testing, introduction, and widespread use of conjugate meningococcal vaccines. The Project recently developed MenAfriVac
™, a low-cost conjugate A vaccine that is ready for widespread distribution to people between the ages of 1 and 29 in Burkina Faso
, Mali
, and Niger
, three countries in the African meningitis belt with the highest rates of meningitis.
Ltd. to manufacture the vaccine, the Project was able to develop a vaccine that would be affordable to developing African countries, priced at less than $US.50 per dose. Unlike existing vaccines, MenAfriVac™ also provides immunity for a long period of time—10 to 15 years— and is safe for use in infants one year of age and older. Phase 3 clinical trials are still underway to further compare of the safety profile of MenAfriVac™ with existing polysaccharide vaccines.
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
by developing a new meningococcal vaccine
Meningococcal vaccine
Meningococcal vaccine is a vaccine used against Meningococcus, a bacterium that causes meningitis, meningococcemia, septicemia, and rarely carditis, septic arthritis, or pneumonia.-Types:...
. The meningitis problem in that area is caused by a strain of meningitis called "meningitis A", which is only present in the African meningitis belt
African meningitis belt
The African meningitis belt is a region in sub-Saharan Africa where the rate of incidence of meningitis is very high.-Regions:It consists of part of or all of , The Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, ...
. In June 2010 various sourced announced that they had developed MenAfriVac
MenAfriVac
MenAfriVac is a vaccine developed for use in sub-Saharan Africa that protects people 1 to 29 years of age against meningococcal bacterium Neisseria meningitidis group A. MenAfriVac costs under US$.50 per dose and reduces carriage of the bacteria from one person to another...
, which is an inexpensive, safe, and highly effective vaccine which is likely to stop the epidemic as quickly as anyone had ever hoped that it would.
The project marked the first time that medical research had developed a vaccine to combat a disease which is endemic to and only a problem for Africa.
The project began in 2001 when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...
awarded the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
The Program for Appropriate Technology in Health is an international, nonprofit global health organization based in Seattle, Washington , with 900+ employees in more than 30 offices around the world. Its president and CEO is Dr...
(PATH) a US $70 million seed grant to begin research.
Background
In 2001, the Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationBill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...
awarded the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
The Program for Appropriate Technology in Health is an international, nonprofit global health organization based in Seattle, Washington , with 900+ employees in more than 30 offices around the world. Its president and CEO is Dr...
(PATH) a US$70 million seed grant to launch the Meningitis Vaccine Project.
Implementation
The mission of the Project is to eliminate meningitisMeningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
as a public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa through the development, testing, introduction, and widespread use of conjugate meningococcal vaccines. The Project recently developed MenAfriVac
MenAfriVac
MenAfriVac is a vaccine developed for use in sub-Saharan Africa that protects people 1 to 29 years of age against meningococcal bacterium Neisseria meningitidis group A. MenAfriVac costs under US$.50 per dose and reduces carriage of the bacteria from one person to another...
™, a low-cost conjugate A vaccine that is ready for widespread distribution to people between the ages of 1 and 29 in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, and Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
, three countries in the African meningitis belt with the highest rates of meningitis.
Manufacture
By working with the Serum Institute of IndiaSerum Institute of India
Serum Institute of India is a manufacturer of Immunobiological including vaccines in India. The company is managed by the Poonawalla group- fully owned by Cyrus Poonawalla. The company is the fifth biggest vaccinemaker by volume, the top four being GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, Merck and Novartis...
Ltd. to manufacture the vaccine, the Project was able to develop a vaccine that would be affordable to developing African countries, priced at less than $US.50 per dose. Unlike existing vaccines, MenAfriVac™ also provides immunity for a long period of time—10 to 15 years— and is safe for use in infants one year of age and older. Phase 3 clinical trials are still underway to further compare of the safety profile of MenAfriVac™ with existing polysaccharide vaccines.