Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Politics

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Born to Die vaccines campaign/ GAVI Conference

62 replies

SnailWhaleTail · 03/06/2011 14:05

So, further to Mumsnet HQs thread above about attending the GAVI conference on funding childhood vaccines in the developing world I'm really looking forward to Monday 13th when I'll be at the conference to see what transpires and which countries pledge what.

More info from Save the Children

And from ONEs website too

This info is really worth looking at and I'll post more as I get it.

Any comments on the campaign or points of discussion would be really interesting to hear.

OP posts:
Original poster
SnailWhaleTail · 09/06/2011 21:10

Pram; that's a really interesting article, the Gates Foundation does indeed support GAVI and I believe Bill Gates will be speaking at the conference. The idea of 'philanthrocapitalism' is an interesting one and

I notice from the article the allusion to what you were talking about in terms of 'cuteness' although in many ways that may go some way to garnering popular support, I'll be interested to hear DCs speech on Monday.

OP posts:
Original poster
SnailWhaleTail · 09/06/2011 20:56

Yes, I did forget to add the plea for support and more names on the petition via this link
we are handing it in to Downing St at 1000 tomorrow.

The conference is an all day event on Monday with a selection of ministers pledging (hopefully) support and cash to the campaign. I will be adding the info and answers to question as we find out on Monday.

OP posts:
StuartfromONE · 09/06/2011 15:47

Stuart from ONE here (in case you couldn't tell from my highly imaginative user name) and very excited about my first ever Mumsnet post Grin
A huge thanks to SWT for this great thread! Looking forward to the petition hand-in tomorrow at Downing Street - less than 20 hours to go for people to add their name (via the link two posts above this).
Thanks too for the interesting questions from a few of you, will get back with answers later.

Original poster
SnailWhaleTail · 09/06/2011 13:13

vimeo.com/24170368

One more day intil the handing in of the petition and here's another video with some views of the general public on the subject of foriegn aid.

OP posts:
Original poster
SnailWhaleTail · 09/06/2011 13:02

www.one.org/international/actnow/vaccines/signed.html Posting from work but here's a bit more info.

OP posts:
Pram1nTheHall · 09/06/2011 12:44

Yes, the long-term healthcare thing is a good point. I sometimes wonder whether big aid campaigning groups focus so much on babies/children because it will get a bigger public response, slightly to the detriment of less 'attractive' campaigns around things like lifelong healthcare (free at the point of need being a crucial thing, as Lindsay says)

There was an interesting piece on the Gates Foundation, which pours lots of money into vaccine research, here.

Are you going to No 10 then? I've only ever walked past the Whitehall entrance and looked longingly through the railings. Usually when I'm on a shouty march of some kind... I agree with CrumbleMum, I'm hugely impressed that the Coalition has stuck to the 0.7% target. Much as I think they're otherwise a bunch of f*ckers. And you can criticise some of the things they're spending it on (securitisation of aid etc, seems to be a cover for military spending). But still, with all the rightwing backbench/Daily Mail/Express opposition and lukewarm support among the public at large, it would have been very easy for them to drop it. I'm almost coming to the conclusion that they believe it's the right thing to do Shock

Original poster
SnailWhaleTail · 08/06/2011 19:16

Crumblemum and Pram1inthehall; I'll have a look and see what info there is regarding the interest of the big drugs companies. I believe from the info that the ONE group have access to that the figures are based on a bulk buy of the vaccine so again I wonder what the cost in subsequent years will be.

OP posts:
Original poster
SnailWhaleTail · 08/06/2011 19:13

Yy, one of the issues that interests me too is the sustainability of the vaccine programme long term. How are countries going to absorb the costs of the HCPs to give the vaccine and how will infection control issues be managed?

The 2 vaccines are for Rotavirus which is a significant cause of D and V, and pneumococcal which will prevent pneumonia. There is an interesting table on the Save the Children website on the causes of death of Under 5s and these which I'll link to when I get back to a proper computer.

I'm keen to see on Friday when we hand the petition to Downing St what kind of media cover it gets and whether the Gavi conference is widely reported.

OP posts:
Crumblemum · 08/06/2011 16:01

Great you're going and great UK still doing this. Despite all else I could say on DC, admirable that the 0.7% target remains. I'd like to know a bit more about what made the pharma companies finally start doing something - is this big business doing good (albeit a bit late) or is there a more interesting back story?

LindsayWagner · 08/06/2011 15:44

Interesting and admirable to be pouring these resources into vaccines ? but I'm worried about what?s being done about longer-term, sustainable healthcare systems to ensure that the children who receive the jabs go on to get decent healthcare in other areas - preferably free at the point of need, and for their adult lives as well as during childhood.

MNHQ
carriemumsnet · 07/06/2011 15:27

It's hard to know what to say because vaccines are such a no brainer - (and I hate that phrase but...) The Save campaign says it all - No child is born to die and it's just immoral in the 21st century that children die of wholly preventable diseases. It would be fantastic if the big pharma companies could be persuaded to help - if one of them starts lowering their prices hopefully the rest will follow.

Apart from pledging support and wishing you all the best for the conference I've no more to add - but do let us know if there's any action required. Good luck

Pram1nTheHall · 07/06/2011 11:14

Nice gig!

I heard yesterday that some of the big pharma drug producers have pledged to bring down the pirces of some of the vaccines - includes one vaccine that's a 5-in-1? - which sounds like good news. I think GlaxoSmithKline was one of them. I remember reading somewhere that it's relatively new chief exec is quite proactive on this issue.

I hope that this conference does something to address the cynicism of those who are opposed to foreign aid. Seems like a cut-and-dried example of how our money can be put to excellent, indisputably effective use in poor countries.