We want to hear what you think about childhood pneumococcal vaccine supply and financing. Click here to take the PneumoADIP Web-Based Survey 2005. Thank you in advance for your time and valuable input.

PneumoADIP is pleased to announce one more funding cycle for our Small Grants Program. For this final round we are increasing the award to $40,000. Due to the high quality of previous proposals from the global health community in low- and middle-income countries, we felt compelled to extend the Small Grants funding. The deadline for this final round is September 30th, 2005. For more information about the program, on-going Small Grants projects and how to apply, visit us online at www.preventpneumo.org

After a rigorous 11 month review process, GAVI’s PneumoADIP is pleased to announce the selection of 10 sites from 9 different countries in Asia for further development as potential sites for large-scale vaccine evaluation. The sites selected are: (1) Kamalampur, Bangladesh; (2) Karachi, Pakistan; (3) Colombo, Sri Lanka; (4) Shivgarh, India; (5) the Hib Probe Study sites, India; (6) Sa Kaeo and Nakon Phanom, Thailand; (7) Nha Trang, Vietnam; (8) Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; (9) Shanghai, China; and (10) Viti Levu, Fiji. These sites represent the diversity of Asia and form a foundation for building a firm evidence-base in Asia to support vaccine introduction decisions. Two types of activities will be supported at these sites: (a) collection of further baseline information required to make a further assessment about development needs and (b) site development activities for a possible impact study.

We received 17 letters of interest regarding 26 sites from 10 different countries in Asia . 23 sites were selected for further evaluation and 10 were ultimately selected for further investment by a Technical Review Group (TRG) chaired by Professor Ron Dagan.

Based on recommendations from our Scientific Advisors, GAVI’s PneumoADIP created the Asian Field Site Development Initiative in May 2004. The goal of the initiative is to identify and develop sites that represent the diversity of Asia (e.g. sub-regions; urban vs. rural; high vs. low mortality) where the vaccine’s impact against key outcomes of regional interest can be evaluated in a way that accelerates evidence-based decision-making in the region. Although PneumoADIP currently does not have the funding to support large-scale trials, it is hoped that these development activities might attract the interest and funding needed to carry them out.

For more information about the PneumoADIP’s Asian Field Site Development Initiative, visit us online at www.preventpneumo.org

Geneva, Switzerland – May, 2005. At the 58th World Health Assembly, WHO and UNICEF unveiled the ambitious Global Immunization and Vaccine Strategy (GIVS) aimed to prevent millions of deaths annually worldwide by providing equal access to vaccines for all. Governments officially committed to adopting this strategic framework for 2006-2015 which provides an array of approaches to suit each country’s epidemiologic and health infrastructure needs. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines are included as part of GIVS’ strategic arm to introduce new vaccines and technologies. For more information on GIVS, click here.

On July 1, 2005, the policy set forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors on clinical trials will take effect. Clinical trials will only be considered for publication if they have been registered. All trials that are going to begin recruiting on or after July 1, 2005, must be registered on clinicaltrials.gov before they begin enrollment. Ongoing trials must be registered on clinicaltrials.gov before September 13, 2005.

For more information on this policy, please click here where you can read the Journal of the American Medical Association’s June 15, 2005 (Vol. 293, No. 23) article entitled, “Is This Clinical Trial Fully Registered? a Statement from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors,” describing the registration requirements. You can also learn what information will be required for the registration of clinical trials by taking the Protocol Registration System (PRS) Guided Tour, which is available at http://prsinfo.clinicaltrials.gov/intro.html

The June 2005 issue of Paediatric Respiratory Reviews features a mini-symposium on the Burden of Pneumonia. Editor Warren Lenney writes, “This mini-symposium addresses the impact pneumonia has in children in various parts of the world highlighting the differences depending on the underlying economy, health care infrastructure and social environmental conditions.” Four excellent articles discuss the burden of childhood pneumonia in developing countries, Latin America, Asia and Australia.