Vaccine a Big Success Against Meningitis in Uganda

Vaccine a Big Success Against Meningitis in Uganda
Rates in young children drop to zero in areas of the country included in a study. Transcript of radio broadcast:
18 March 2008

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Meningitis is an infection of the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord. Both bacteria and viruses can cause it. Viral meningitis is the more common form, but bacterial meningitis is more dangerous.

Each year, almost four hundred thousand children under the age of five die from meningitis caused by a bacterium known as Hib. Millions more suffer hearing loss, brain damage or other disabilities as a result of the disease.

Hib, or Haemophilus influenzae type b, requires intensive treatment with antibiotics. But most of the children are poor and live in developing countries.

Hib vaccines for babies have been available since nineteen ninety-one. But for most of that time, their use was limited to industrial countries, mostly because of cost.

Uganda began widespread child vaccinations against Hib in two thousand two. Now, a study has found that in areas where cases were counted, the disease rate fell by eighty-five percent in the first four years. Then it fell to zero in two thousand six.

Scientists from the government, the World Health Organization, a French agency and others have been studying the campaign. They estimate that the program now prevents thirty thousand severe infections and five thousand deaths in children under five each year. Their report is to be published next month in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

The GAVI Alliance paid for the vaccines. GAVI was formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. This alliance of private and public interests was created in two thousand to widen the availability of immunizations.

With GAVI support, Uganda provided sixteen and a half million doses of Hib vaccine nationwide from two thousand two to two thousand six.

Other studies have found similar results with Hib vaccines in countries including Bangladesh, Kenya and Gambia. But the executive secretary of the alliance, Julian Lob-Levyt, says this is the first time the group has seen rates drop to zero.

Uganda chose to use an injection that contains vaccines against five diseases: Hib as well as diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and hepatitis B.

In November, the GAVI board approved additional financing to pay for Hib vaccine in a total of forty-four countries.

And that’s the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. For more health news, and for transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our reports, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.


----------------------------Google Translate

疫苗的一大成功，对脑膜炎乌干达
利率幼童下降至零，在地区的国家，包括在一项研究。全文电台广播：
2008年3月18日

这是美国之音特别英语卫生报告。

脑膜炎是一种感染该组织表示，包括脑和脊髓。细菌及病毒，可造成这种危险。病毒性脑膜炎是较常见的形式，但细菌性脑膜炎，是更加危险的境地。

每年，几乎400000岁以下的儿童， 5人死于脑膜炎是由细菌称为乙型流感嗜血杆菌。数百万人遭受听力丧失，脑损伤或其他残疾，由于该疾病。

乙型流感嗜血杆菌，或B型流感嗜血杆菌，需要强化治疗用抗生素。但大多数的孩子都是穷人和生活在发展中国家。

乙型流感嗜血杆菌疫苗，为婴儿已自1991年。但对大多数那些日子里，其使用仅限于工业国家，主要是因为成本问题。

乌干达开始普遍接种疫苗的儿童对乙型流感嗜血杆菌在2000两。现在，一项研究发现，在地方案件进行计数，发病率下降了85 ％ ，在头四年。然后下降到零，在2000六名。

科学家们从政府，世界卫生组织，法国和一些其他人士一直都在研究运动。他们估计，该计画现在可防止30000重症感染和5000人死亡的5岁以下儿童每年的。他们的报告将在下月发表在公报中的世界卫生组织。

全球疫苗免疫联盟付款购买疫苗。该联盟的前身是全球疫苗和免疫联盟。这一联盟的私人和公共利益，创建于2000拓宽供货的预防接种。

与GAVI的支持下，乌干达提供了16个和50万剂量的乙型流感嗜血杆菌疫苗，在全国范围内，从2000 1时58 thousand六人。

其他研究也发现类似的结果，与乙型流感嗜血杆菌疫苗的国家包括孟加拉，肯尼亚和冈比亚。但执行秘书的联盟，朱利安前厅levyt说，这是第一次，该集团已看到率下降到零。

乌干达选择使用注射含有疫苗的五个疾病：乙型流感嗜血杆菌以及白喉，百日咳，破伤风和乙型肝炎。

在今年11月，全球疫苗和免疫联盟理事会批准了额外的资金来支付乙型流感嗜血杆菌疫苗，一共有44个国家。

这也是该美国之音特别英语卫生报告，写caty维夫。更多健康资讯，并为誊本， MP3和播客我们的报告，到voaspecialenglish.com 。我史蒂夫Ember公司。