Cambodia symposium addresses “Recent advances
in diarrheal disease control”
Rotavirus
gastroenteritis is a significant cause of diarrhea-related mortality
and morbidity in the developing world, and a vaccine against
rotavirus represents the most promising method of prevention. In
addition to rotavirus vaccines, other new interventions for
controlling the broader spectrum of diarrheal disease are on the
horizon. In particular, zinc supplementation and the new formulation
of low-osmolarity oral rehydration solution (ORS) offer additional
opportunities for reducing the morbidity and mortality associated
with diarrheal disease in developing countries. Despite the great
promise of these interventions, all three remain relatively unknown
in the broader global health community.
To build awareness
for these new interventions and to raise the level of priority given
to greater effectiveness in managing diarrheal disease, PATH
recently sponsored a scientific symposium in Cambodia entitled
"Recent advances in diarrheal disease control." In collaboration
with the Cambodian Centers for Disease Control/Ministry of Health,
the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Cambodia Pediatric
Association, PATH welcomed over 60 key decision-makers,
pediatricians, and health care providers to an interactive
discussion of diarrheal disease control issues, including rotavirus
vaccines; the use of low-osmolarity ORS; and the use of zinc
supplementation for prevention and treatment of diarrhea.
The symposium kicked off an 18-month advocacy plan designed
to build and maintain a knowledge base of new interventions against
diarrheal disease among key audiences in Cambodia, where WHO
estimates 24 percent of child deaths are due to severe dehydration
caused by diarrheal disease. Effective management of diarrheal
disease both now and in the future is a priority in Cambodia, and
the Cambodian Pediatric Society, with support from PATH, will
include education about these new interventions in agendas for
upcoming conferences, medical school curricula, and other health
care training events.
Appropriate topics for the symposium
were identified through audience research conducted by PATH earlier
this year among health care workers in India, Indonesia, Thailand,
Nicaragua, and Ukraine. Early results from this research indicate a
significant lack of awareness of rotavirus and a common
misperception that improvements in water quality and sanitation will
adequately prevent rotavirus. In addition, the research revealed a
lack of awareness of zinc as an intervention for diarrheal disease
control and a general perception that promotion of diarrheal disease
control and management interventions, such as ORS, have declined. A
complete report on the audience research findings is
forthcoming.
Representatives from PATH’s
rotavirus vaccine program participate in GAVI Partners’
Meeting
The 3rd GAVI
Partners' Meeting was held in New Delhi, December 7–9. John Wecker,
PhD, director of PATH's rotavirus vaccine program, joined
representatives from GAVI's PneumoADIP, GAVI's Hib Initiative, and
PATH's Japanese encephalitis project in a roundtable discussion with
international journalists. For an overview of topics addressed at
the Partners' Meeting, visit GAVI online.
PATH and Merck announce
partnership for ROTATEQ™ clinical trials in Africa and
Asia
The GAVI Partners'
Meeting earlier this month provided an opportune setting for
announcement of a new collaboration between PATH and Merck &
Co., Inc., to conduct clinical studies of Merck's investigational
rotavirus vaccine, ROTATEQ™, a live, oral, pentavalent vaccine
containing five rotavirus strains: G1, G2, G3, G4, and P1.
Trials will be conducted among developing country
populations in Africa and Asia to evaluate the vaccine's efficacy,
as well as its potential introduction to routine childhood
vaccination schedules. Over the next six months, clinical trial
sites will be identified, with a goal of initiating at least one
trial by the end of 2006. For further details on this collaboration,
click here.
Clinical trials moving ahead with
GSK’s Rotarix®
In late October
2005, clinical trial sites in South Africa enrolled the first
participants in a study of the efficacy of GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK)
Rotarix® vaccine. As of early December, nearly 1,000 infants have
been enrolled in the study, which is conducted in partnership
between PATH and GSK. Additionally, enrollment was completed in
October for an immunogenicity study of Rotarix® in Bangladesh. Three
hundred infants are participating in this study, which is also
conducted in partnership between PATH and GSK.
Rotavirus Surveillance
News launched
This fall, the US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with support from PATH,
launched Rotavirus Surveillance News, a new publication that
provides brief and timely updates on important progress toward
defining the global, regional, and national disease and economic
burdens associated with rotavirus. The newsletter also will provide
a forum for news from other projects involved with rotavirus
surveillance and epidemiology. To view the inaugural issue and
obtain subscription information, click here.
Gates visit to Bangladesh
addresses diarrheal disease interventions
The
International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research (ICDDR) in
Dhaka, Bangladesh, hosted Bill and Melinda Gates last week as they
traveled through the region to assess priorities in global public
health. ICDDR is largely responsible for the initial discovery of
oral rehydration solution (ORS) and its positive benefits for
children suffering from severe dehydration caused by diarrheal
disease. During the Gateses' visit, discussion focused on the
supplementation of ORS with zinc therapy, which has been shown to
reduce the duration of diarrheal disease episodes. For further
details on the visit and Gates-funded activities in global health,
visit Newsweek
magazine online.
© 2004-2005, PATH.
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