Global Pneumococcal Disease and Vaccine

Global disease

Based on available data, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that Streptococcus pneumoniae kills close to half a million children under 5 years old worldwide every year, with most of these deaths occurring in developing countries. See the burden of pneumococcal disease globally.

A large reduction in invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia has been seen in countries that have introduced pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV). In January 2010, Bill and Melinda Gates announced that their foundation would commit $10 billion over the next 10 years to help with research, development and delivery of vaccines for the world’s poorest countries. This increased investment in vaccines by governments and the private sector could help developing countries dramatically reduce child mortality by the end of the decade. Read the complete press release from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Top of Page

Pneumococcal Vaccine Use Worldwide

PCV in the Americas
PCV is in the routine immunization schedule in the United States and Canada where it has been shown to be highly effective. More countries in the Americas have introduced PCV into their routine immunization schedules in recent years; however, a few countries have yet to introduce.
PCV in Europe
Efforts are underway to build and strengthen European surveillance systems to allow countries to make informed decisions regarding the introduction of new pneumococcal vaccines and also to monitor and compare the impact and effectiveness of new programs. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines are used widely in high risk groups.
WHO position paper concerning the use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in young children [16 pages]
The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) that advises WHO on vaccines recommends the use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines worldwide, and particularly in countries with high child mortality rates (>50 deaths/1,000 births).
As of June 2017, 141 countries have introduced pneumococcal conjugate vaccine [28 pages].
Resources for vaccine support
GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, is a partnership that combines public and private sector resources to bring the benefits of immunization to children in greatest need. They have committed funding for pneumococcal vaccines and, as of April 2017, 59 countries have been approved for PCV support.
Advance market commitment
In 2009, governments from five developed countries and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched an innovative pilot funding program to incentivize vaccine manufacturers to produce effective and affordable vaccines that would be available to all children worldwide. The pilot is expected to save more than 1.5 million lives by 2020.