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WHAT: |
 A
BBC World documentary on pneumococcal disease - a serious, common,
yet preventable killer of children and infants in the developing world.
The 24- minute film highlights recent efforts to address the urgent
need for routine immunization against this disease. |
| WHEN: |
Thursday
6th January 2005 at 22:30 hrs (GMT)*
Repeated worldwide (times shown as GMT): Friday 7th January at 02:30*;
Friday 7th January at 09:30 & 17:30; Sunday 9th January at 03:30.
Pneumococcal disease will be the focus of the first of ten documentaries
to be aired by BBC World as part of its second ‘Kill or Cure?’
season. Programme times around the world can be viewed at: www.bbcworld.com.
* With the exception of Asia, Australasia and Middle East
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| WHY: |
 Although
most people haven’t heard of it, the World Health Organization
estimates that pneumococcal disease kills 1.6 million people each
year – more than malaria. Half of these deaths, about 800,000,
are babies and children, and nearly all of these deaths occur in
poorer countries.
Access to antibiotic treatment for pneumococcal disease is important
but not enough. Even with treatment, pneumococcal meningitis kills
or disables 40% to 75% of the children who get it. Drug-resistant
pneumococcal infections are increasing and threaten the effectiveness
of current antibiotic treatment. Furthermore, HIV infection and
malnutrition – both common in poorer countries – only
worsen the situation.
Pneumococcal disease is serious, common, and now preventable as
well. New, life-saving vaccines are being developed and tested in
developing countries.
Experience with other vaccines shows that having an effective vaccine
available in wealthy countries is not enough and more than 20 years
will pass before these vaccines reach developing countries. To avoid
the problems of the past, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization
(GAVI) created a dedicated team, PneumoADIP, to build partnerships
and speed access to the vaccine for the children who need it the
most.
The ‘Kill or Cure?’ documentary puts
a human face on pneumococcal disease and illustrates the hope for
these life-saving vaccines by highlighting recent successes from
a vaccine trial in South Africa, efforts in Kenya to uncover the
disease burden in Africa, and the driving force of GAVI’s
PneumoADIP in accelerating vaccine access.
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| ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
 PneumoADIP
is a small, dedicated team based at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health and supported by $30,000,000 from the Global Alliance
for Vaccines and Immunization and its partner, the Vaccine Fund.
People worldwide are encouraged to visit: www.preventpneumo.org
for more comprehensive information on pneumococcal disease.
BBC World is renowned for its award-winning current affairs, documentary
and lifestyle programming and aims to keep its viewers not just
informed, but well informed, with in-depth analysis and cutting
edge interviews - the story from all sides.
Schedule details for the pneumococcal disease documentary and other
films forming part of the BBC World ‘Kill or Cure?’
series may be found at: www.bbcworld.com.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Hans Kvist
Director of Communications
GAVI’s PneumoADIP
Office: +1 (443) 287 8302
Mobile: +1 (410) 736 8243
Email: hkvist@jhsph.edu
Selina Haylock
Communications Consultant
Ruder Finn UK Ltd.
Office: +44 (0)20 7462 8969
Mobile: +44 (0)7768 823 989
Email: shaylock@ruderfinn.co.uk
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