About Vaccines for Development

Immunization is one of the safest ways to reduce disease and poverty in developing countries. But 3 million people die every year of vaccine-preventable diseases; and that will likely rise to 4.5 million when rotavirus and pneumococcus vaccines are available, if past experience is any guide. And progress towards vaccines suitable for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis is painfully slow. This web site, Vaccines for Development, addresses key policy issues and offers resources for professionals interested in improving access to, and development of, vaccines for developing countries.While this site will address many topics, one area of focus will be the exploration of advance market commitments to promote private industry research and development of vaccines. These "pull" mechanisms, explored in detail in the recent book "Making Markets for Vaccines", offer an approach which is increasingly being considered by senior policymakers. But advance market commitments are only part of the answer, and only part of what this blog is about. We'll be looking more broadly at the environment for the development, production, regulation, procurement, distribution, use and effectiveness of vaccines in developing countries.This site is edited by Owen Barder and supported by the Center for Global Development. Questions about this site can be addressed to Owen Barder at obarder@cgdev.org,