The report also notes that the global vaccine market has tripled over the last eight years, reaching more than US$ 17 billion in revenue. Rising demand for vaccines via United Nations procuring agencies and a renaissance in vaccine discovery and development have fueled industry-s renewed focus on vaccines. Significantly, manufacturers in developing countries are now meeting 86% of the global demand for traditional vaccines, such as those protecting against measles, whooping cough (pertussis), tetanus and diphtheria.

-We have seen a dramatic turnaround in the availability of vaccines in even the poorest countries,- said Graeme Wheeler, Managing Director, World Bank Group. -Yet the international community, together with the countries themselves must ensure that new and existing technologies actually reach the most vulnerable populations, especially children.-

The cost of delivering vaccines to those that need them is increasingly an issue that is only partially solved by financing partnerships such as GAVI. Middle income countries are not eligible for GAVI assistance, yet they are home to 30 million children and 2 billion people, a large number of whom live on less than US$ 2 a day. Even at greatly reduced prices, the cost of new vaccines for pneumococcal disease, rotavirus, diarrhea and HPV are individually greater than the cost of all other traditional vaccines combined.

-Vaccines are an incredible tool to control disease in all countries and are a still a very smart buy in health and economic terms,- said Dr Fred Were, National Chairman of the Kenya Paediatric Association. -Practicing in my country, we still unfortunately see a lot of illness and death from vaccine-preventable diseases. If this can be reduced we will have more resources and time to focus on other health issues.-

unicef./