Renewing Canadas support for immunization:the Canadian International Immunization Initiative

The dramatic drop in measles deaths in Africa and the strong progress being made worldwide are a testament to the power of partnerships and the impact they can have on child survival. But measles is still killing nearly 600 children under five every day, an unacceptable reality when we have a safe, effective and inexpensive vaccine to prevent the disease.

Ann Veneman,
Executive Director UNICEF,
State of the Worlds Children, 2008

Background

Immunization is one of the worlds biggest public health success stories.Globally, millions of childrens lives have been saved by vaccination against diseases such as measles, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, childhood tuberculosis and other killers. As the global immunization campaign has scaled up in recent years, 2.3 million deaths have prevented since 2000 alone.Globally, basic immunization coverage has risen from less than five per cent in 1974 to almost 80 percent today.

Immunization is perhaps the worlds greatest health bargain.For US$17, a child can be immunized against six deadly diseases. This includes vaccines, syringes, cold chain equipment, and health workers training and salaries. According to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), disease prevention through immunization yields up to $30 in healthcare savings for each dollar invested.It is an economical low-risk health intervention, with a proven track record of impact.

Mostimportantly,immunization is one of the key reasons that the global number of deaths of children under age 5 has fallen to a record low of 9.7 million a year, down from almost 20 million a year in 1960, as highlighted in UNICEFs State of the Worlds Children 2008 report (released January 22).

Photo: child receiving measles vaccination, Sierra Leone (Unicef)

Measles, a global success story

One of the most dramatic recent successes for immunization has been the decline in global measles deaths, the biggest killer among the six main vaccine preventable diseases. Measles deaths fell 68% worldwide between 2000 and 2006, from an estimated 757,000 to 242,000 a yearduring that period.Progress against measles was most spectacular inAfrica, with deaths falling from an estimated 396,000 to only 36,000 a year, a stunning 91% drop over the six years.

Canadahas played a leading role in the battle against measles through the Canadian International Immunization Initiative (CIII).Through UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other groups,Canadahelped provide funding for African governments to implement measles reduction strategies, which aimed to vaccinate all children against measles before their first birthday.This was backed up by providing a second opportunity for immunization through mass vaccination campaigns organized in conjunction with Rotary International, the Red Cross and others. Thisisone ofthe most remarkable success stories everfor Canada's foreign aid program.

The ongoing need for basic immunization

Yet more remains to be done.An estimated 27 million infants still do not receive basic immunization. An estimated 1.4 million children under five die each year from the six major vaccine-preventable diseases, with a further 1.1 million deaths from pneumonia and rotavirus (these vaccines are under development and hopefully will soon be available.)

Even after the dramatic decline in measles deaths, it is still killing nearly 600 children under five each day. Currently about 74% of global measles deaths occur inSouth Asia, wherecountries with high numbers of measles deaths need to fully implement a measles strategy.In addition, countries inAfricathat have made rapid progress need to sustain their gains, or measles will make a comeback.This requires conducting follow-up vaccination campaigns every two to four years until their routine immunization systems are capable of providing measles vaccination to all children.For most poor countries, outside financial support will continue to be required for some time.

The mosturgent priority: renewing the Canadian International Immunization Initiative

In 2003,Canadaannounced a total of $80 million over 5 years, or $16 million a year, for the Canadian International Immunization Initiative. These funds supported both direct immunization fundingand the strengthening of health delivery systems in poor countries. This funding will be coming to an end in April 2008, and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has not yet decided whether to renew the program.

The current globalfunding gap for immunization is about $1 billion a year, which would save an additional one million lives by 2015.Canadas fair share of this, based on the relative size of our economy, is an additional $50 million per year.

Basic immunization is one of the mostcost-effective life-saving foreign aid programs in existence.It should be held up as a clear example of Canadian aid at its best, especially at a time when the effectiveness of aid is often questioned.Canadamust continue its record of support for immunization by renewing and increasing funding for global immunization programming by at least$50 million per year.

---

A Call To Action:

1. Write a letter to the editor about the importance of continuingCanadas international immunization initiative.If possible, hook it to a current news story.Use themedia email list at www.results-resultats.ca

2. Write Minister of International Cooperation Beverley Oda to express your support forCanadas funding for global immunization programs, and the impressive results. Ask that she continue funding for the Canadian International Immunization Initiative at the level of at least $50 million a year.

3. Send a similar letter to your own MP.Express your support forCanadas aid program. Mention the successful track record of immunization, and ask them to write to Minister Oda asking for continued funding for the Canadian International Immunization Initiative.

Address for Minster Oda and other Members of Parliament:
House of Commons,OttawaKIA OA6
Email format for MPs:Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
Fax for Minister Oda: 613 992-2794

---

References:

State of the Worlds Children 2008
www.unicef.org/HERE

Measles deaths in Africa plunge by 91%
www.who.int/HERE

Announcement of funding for Canadian International Immunization Initiative, May 2003
www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/HERE

---