Announcements/Milestones

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 1 August 2015]
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/press/press-releases
Field News
Tanzania: MSF Vaccinates 130,000 Refugees Against Cholera
July 30, 2015
Kigoma/Geneva, 30th July 2015—A cholera vaccination campaign to protect Burundian and Congolese refugees in the overflowing Nyarugusu camp in Tanzania has been completed by the international medical organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) this week. However, with people still living in very precarious conditions, there is still an urgent need to improve the sanitary situation in the camp.

The second round of the vaccination campaign, a response to an outbreak that occurred this past May, was finalized on July 27. More than 130,000 refugees were vaccinated in this round. The oral cholera vaccine, which must be administered in two doses, offers a high level of protection against the disease. However, vaccination should be carried out together with other prevention and control measures, which are severely lacking today in the camp.

“Vaccination is an urgent and essential response to prevent lives being lost, but to reduce the risk of new epidemics, sanitary conditions in the camp must be rapidly improved,” said Sita Cacioppe, Emergency Coordinator for MSF.

The vaccination campaign was conducted in collaboration with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In the first round in June, 107,000 people—equivalent to 92 percent of the population at the time—received a first dose of the vaccine. But insecurity around the elections in Burundi continues to push thousands of people across the Tanzanian border, and since the first round of vaccination, around 20,000 more people have been transported to the camp according to the UNHCR. A catch-up round will soon be organized to give a second dose to the newcomers whose overall vaccination status is unclear…

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Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development awarded grant to develop therapeutic vaccine for Chagas disease
HOUSTON, July 28, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Sabin Vaccine Institute and Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, also known as the Sabin product development partnership (Sabin PDP), a major research component of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, received a grant of $1.8 million from the Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation. The grant will fund accelerated development of the first therapeutic vaccine for Chagas disease in humans, in a development program under the direction of Drs. Peter Hotez, Texas Children’s Hospital endowed chair in Tropical Pediatrics, and Maria Elena Bottazzi, deputy director of Sabin PDP…

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IAVI International AIDS Vaccine Initiative [to 1 August 2015]
http://www.iavi.org/press-releases/2015
IAVI Programs Help Strengthen East Africa’s Health Research Capacity
July 30, 2015 – IAVI Press Release
NEW YORK – The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) has made significant contributions to strengthening health research systems in East Africa, according to a study published by RAND Europe on 30 July.

In order to develop effective AIDS vaccines for use throughout the world, it is essential to build partnerships and bolster capacity to conduct vaccine research and clinical trials at the highest technical, regulatory and ethical standards in regions where they are most needed. IAVI has worked with in-country partners to build a network of Clinical Research Centers (CRCs) and laboratories in Africa and India dedicated to conducting AIDS vaccine trials and related epidemiological studies which also help build broader, lasting value in the communities and countries that participate in vaccine research. Click here to read about IAVI’s HIV vaccine trials and epidemiological studies to date.

Commissioned to evaluate IAVI’s capacity building activities in East Africa, where IAVI has operated the longest, RAND Europe reported that IAVI’s mission to develop an AIDS vaccine has become increasingly connected to wider strengthening of health research systems, through its epidemiological and clinical research activities in East Africa.

RAND found that IAVI has made significant contributions in training to support scientific excellence and good clinical practice, and investments in infrastructure and laboratories at CRCs in East Africa. Noting ongoing challenges in ensuring sustained investment, accessing marginalized populations and demonstrating progress, the report finds that “the experiences of IAVI to date suggest that substantial progress is being made towards wider health research systems strengthening in the region.”

“The RAND team spent a great deal of time with field-based stakeholders to capture the perspectives of the people and institutions we strive to benefit,” said IAVI CEO Margie McGlynn. “We are proud of RAND’s validation of the impact achieved by IAVI and our partners and deeply grateful as always for the support of our donors. We are already working to incorporate RAND’s insights about our successes and challenges into our forward planning.”
Full report. http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1147.html

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Gavi [to 1 August 2015]
http://www.gavialliance.org/library/news/press-releases/
31 July 2015
:: Reimbursement of misused amounts identified in Gavi Cash Programme Audit in Nigeria
Statement from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Geneva, 30 July 2015 – In October 2014, following the completion of the Cash Programme Audit (CPA) of its programmes in Nigeria, Gavi finalised its audit report. The audit scope covered the expenditures incurred and procurement activities conducted at the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and states in the fiscal years 2011-2013.
In a joint letter of understanding signed by the then Minister of Health and the Gavi CEO, it was agreed in principle by the Minister to repay any funds identified as having been misused.
The CPA determined that US$ 2.2 million had been misused. In accordance with the joint letter of understanding, and in line with Gavi and Nigeria’s Partnership Framework Agreement (PFA), co-signed by the then Minister of Health, the then Minister of Finance and the Gavi CEO, Gavi requested reimbursement of the identified US$ 2.2 million…

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BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 1 August 2015]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
:: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Global Citizen and FC Barcelona Announce Partnership to Beat Extreme Poverty
SAN FRANCISCO (July 23, 2015) – FC Barcelona, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Global Citizen today announced they have joined forces and are launching a campaign called “Beat Extreme Poverty” to further the movement to end extreme poverty. The campaign will engage millions of people to learn about global issues, while taking meaningful actions in support of the world’s poor. 2015 marks a turning point for the future of the planet. At September’s United Nations General Assembly, world leaders will set global goals that will form a roadmap for how we’ll tackle poverty, inequality and climate change. Therefore, FC Barcelona, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Global Citizen’s partnership comes at a crucial time to help make sure millions of people around the world not only understand the goals, but have the opportunity to take effective and meaningful actions.

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European Medicines Agency [to 1 August 2015]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
:: Calls for civil society members for two EMA committees
29/07/2015 Expressions of interest to represent civil society at committees of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) — the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) and the Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) — to be submitted to European Commission by 30 September 2015 ..
:: EMA to encourage use of scientific advice for post-authorisation safety studies
12-month pilot will support design of high-quality safety studies ..
28/07/2015
:: Fast track routes for medicines that address unmet medical needs
Launch of two-month public consultations on revised guidelines on accelerated assessment and conditional marketing authorisation
27/07/2015
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has revised its guidelines on the implementation of accelerated assessment and conditional marketing authorisation, two key tools in the European legislation to accelerate patients’ access to medicines that address unmet medical needs.
The public consultations on the revised guidelines are open until 30 September 2015. Comments should be sent using the forms provided…

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Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 1 August 2015]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Cecile Hillary Joins Sabin Foundation Europe Board of Trustees
LONDON — July 30, 2015 — Sabin Foundation Europe (SFE), the UK partner of the Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin), today announced the election of Ms. Cecile Hillary, managing director at Morgan Stanley and co-head of debt capital markets for financial institutions in Europe, to the SFE Board of Trustees.

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NIH [to 1 August 2015]
http://www.nih.gov/news/releases.htm
:: Dr. Peter Kilmarx appointed Deputy Director of Fogarty International Center
July 30, 2015 — Kilmarx previously oversaw CDC efforts in Zimbabwe.
PATH [to 1 August 2015]
http://www.path.org/news/index.php
Announcement | July 27, 2015
PATH’s Jane Hutchings named “Pioneer of Global Health”
Washington Global Health Alliance award “recognizes a creative and inspirational leader dedicated to solving global health inequity”

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IVI [to 1 August 2015]
http://www.ivi.org/web/www/home
:: Save the Date: IVI’s International MERS-CoV Symposium  – September 10, 2015
Novotel Ambassador Gangnam, Seoul, Korea
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is pleased to announce that it will host the International MERS-CoV Symposium on September 10, 2015. Scientists from the Republic of Korea, East Asia, Middle East, United States and Europe will present the latest basic and clinical data, and discuss research opportunities, including vaccine development, related to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), an emerging viral disease responsible for severe acute respiratory infection in more than 1,000 people across 25 countries. Planning is underway. Please mark your calendars and check the website over the next few weeks for more information.