MABUTHO: IPneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine yaqala ukuthi itholakale kuleli laseNingizimu Africa ngonyaka ka 2005. Kanti injalo nje ithathwa njengekhambi elingcono kakhulu ekulwisaneni ne pneumonia kanye ne meningitis nokuyisifo ngokombiko ka 2006 wophiko olubhekele izindaba zabantwana enhlanganweni yezizwe, iUnited Nations Children and Education Fund (UNICEF) ka 2006 esibulala abantwana abalinganiselwa ku 2 million minyaka yonke. Naphezu kokuba lelikhambi libaluleke kangaka kepha uDr Anne Von Gettenberg oyi Clinical Microbiologist ovela kwi Respiratory & Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit (RMPRU) enyuvesi yase Wits University, uthi ngenxa yokuthi lelikhambi liyabiza kanti futhi kunemidati okumele ilandelwe kusazothatha isikhathi ukuthi litholakale ezibhedlela zikahulumeni .

DR ANNE VON GOTTENBERG: It’€™s a very expensive vaccine. In fact, it may be more expansive than all combined vaccines that we’€™re vaccinating our children with. Another reason is logistics. You can’€™t just introduce a vaccine. You need to have all the back-up and the infrastructure required to ensure that the vaccine can be transported to the clinics.

MABUTHO: Inani lalekhambi lingaphindwa kaningana uma kuqhathaniswa nalawo makhambi alwisana nesifo sepneumonia akhona njengamanje  njengoba kudingeka ukuba olidingayo akhiphe imali elinganiselwa ku R 1 600.

DR ANNE VON GOTTENBERG: The price at the moment is R4 00 per dose. And the recommended number of doses of three in children less than 12 months and an additional fourth dose in children more than 12 to 14 months of age.

MABUTHO: Njengoba lelikhambi limba eqolo sibe sesixoxisana noDr Nini Ramasamy wenkampani eqhamuke nalelikhambi, i Wyeth, ukuzwa ukuthi ikhona yini imizamo yokuthi kwehliswe amanani ukuze lizotholakala kalula nalapho athi kusenezingxoxo ezikhona neziphathimandla zomnyango wezempilo ngalelikhambi. Uthi unethemba ukuthi lezingxoxo zizoba impumelelo.

DR NINI RAMASAMY : We have entered into discussion with the Department of Health and with various other stake-holders. Thus far, we have positive feed-back.

MABUTHO: Khonamanjalo uJohan van den Heever oyimenenja kwi National Advisory Group on Immunisation (NAGI) ngaphansi komnyango wezempilo kuleli uthi kuningi okumele kulungiswe ngaphambi kokuba lelikhambi lingatholakala ezibhedlela zikahulumeni ikakhulukazi udaba oluphathelene nentengo yalo njengoba ethi limba eqolo.

JOHANN VAN DEN HEEVER: JOHANN VAN DEN HEEVER: It’€™s an extremely expensive vaccine, so one needs to negotiate on a price. Of course, the number of vaccines that you’€™re going to order is quite considerable because you don’€™t only get one dose’€¦ Every child needs to get three jabs. There’€™s needles and syringes involved, there’€™s training of people that are going to implement this’€¦ you need to change the Road to Health cards, which the children carry to include that particular new vaccine’€¦ And then you need to negotiate with Treasury ‘€“ a submission be written to the Minister of Health, suggesting that we introduce it, that these are the financial implications.    

MABUTHO: Ukumba eqola kwamakhambi abalulekile ukulwisana nezifo afana ne pneumococcal conjugated vaccine kuye kwaba ngundabamlonye emhlanganweni we African Union obubanjelwe kwelase Abuja eNigeria ngo 2005 nokuholele ekusungulweni kohlaka iPharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa okuhloswe ngalo ukuthola izindlela zokubheka ukuthi yikuphi okungenziwa ukukhiqiza amakhambi kuleli laseAfrica ukuze ezokwazi ukutholakala ngamanani aphansi. Kodwa umbiko waloluhlaka othulwe ezinyangeni ezimbili ezedlulile engqungqutheleni yongqongqoshe bezempilo ezwenikazi laseAfrica ubonisa ukuthi ziningi izinto okumele zibhekwe ngaphambi kokuba kube nemizamo yokuthi kukhiqizwe amakhambi ezwenikazi lase-Africa. Phakathi kwezinto ezibalulwa iloluhlaka ukuthi ukukhiqiza amakhambi kudla imali enkulu,   kanti   ulwazi lokuwakhiqiza lusezandleni ledlanzana lezinkampani ezinkulu okungazeki ukuthi ziyovuma yini ukunikezela ngolwazi lwazo njengoba zidla ngalo. Okunye okuhlalukayo ukuthi iningi labacwaningi basema nyuvesi abankamunkamu kangako ngokwenza ucwaningo olunzulu oludingakalayo uma loluhlelo luzoba impumelelo, ngoba ludla isikhathi eside okwenza ukuthi bangasheshe bathole iziqu zabo ngokushesha. Okunye okuvelayo ukuthi kunamazwe ezwekazi lase Africa avele asenezivumelwano nezinkampani ezinkulu ezikhiqiza lamakhambi ezivela kwelaseNdiya naseChina okungathatha kube nzima ukuthi lezozivumelwano zephulwe.    

English summary.

Improved pneumonia vaccine, but not for poor

The high cost of the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) – which fights the bacteria that cause pneumonia and meningitis in young children – makes it inaccessible to the poor.

The Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) was first introduced in the country in 2005. It is regarded as the most effective vaccine in fighting pneumonia ‘€“ a disease that, according to the 2006 report of the United Nations Children and Education Fund (UNICEF), kills two  million children every year worldwide. However, despite   its effectiveness Dr Anne Von Gettenberg, a clinician from the Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit (RMPRU) of Wits University, says it will take time for the vaccine to be available in public hospitals due, in part, to its high cost.

‘€œIt’€™s a very expensive vaccine. In fact, it may be more expeansive than all combined vaccines that we’€™re vaccinating our children with. Another reason is logistics. You can’€™t just introduce a vaccine. You need to have all the back-up and the infrastructure required to ensure that the vaccine can be transported to the clinics,’€ she said.

Von Gettenberg says ‘€œthe vaccine costs R4 00 per dose’€. She adds that, ‘€œthe recommended number of doses is three in children less than 12 months and there’€™s an additional fourth dose in children more than 12 to 14 months of age’€.

However, Dr Nini Ramasamy from Wyeth, the pharmaceutical company that produces the vaccine, says there are negotiations to make it available  in the public health care setting.

‘€œWe have entered into discussion with the Department of Health and with various other stake-holders. Thus far, we have positive feed-back,’€ said Dr Ramasamy, adding that ‘€œstaff in the public sector would need to be trained on the function and administration of the vaccine’€.

According to Dr Johan van den Heever, the manager of the Immunisation Programme in the Health Department, several factors need to be considered before the vaccine can be made available in the public health sector

‘€œIt’€™s an extremely expensive vaccine, so one needs to negotiate on a price. Of course, the number of vaccines that you’€™re going to order is quite considerable because you don’€™t only get one dose’€¦ Every child needs to get three jabs. There’€™s needles and syringes involved, there’€™s training of people that are going to implement this’€¦ you need to change the Road to Health cards, which the children carry to include that particular new vaccine’€¦ And then you need to negotiate with Treasury ‘€“ a submission be written to the Minister of Health, suggesting that we introduce it, that these are the financial implications,’€ said van den Heever.