The World Health Organization calls for the development of a vaccine against a bacterium that kills 150,000 children annually

Geneva-Sana

Today, the World Health Organization issued an appeal to develop a vaccine against a bacterial infection that annually kills 150,000 infants or children in the world.

And the French press agency quoted the United Nations and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine as saying in a report that “group B streptococcus, which causes sepsis and meningitis, poses a much greater health problem than previously thought,” explaining that this type of bacteria causes half a million premature births annually and cases of meningitis. Lots of permanent disability.

The report indicated that there are gaps in data collection on these bacteria, which leads to the belief that the actual number of victims may be greater, calling for the urgent development of a vaccine for mothers against streptococcus, which would bring great benefits to the countries of the whole world.

In turn, the medical officer in the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biological Products at the World Health Organization, Philip Lambach, pointed out that "the new research proves that streptococcus poses a major and underestimated threat to the survival and well-being of newborns, which has devastating effects on very many families in the world." While University Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Joy Lun, indicated that developing a vaccine would save hundreds of thousands of lives, expressing regret that no progress was recorded in this regard, although the idea of ​​developing a vaccine was launched more than three decades ago.

On average, 15 percent of pregnant women, or nearly twenty million annually, carry this type of bacteria that can be transmitted to the fetus in the womb or during childbirth.

Each year, 40,000 children suffer from neurological disorders due to group B streptococcus, and women who currently carry this bacteria are treated with antibiotics during childbirth to reduce the risk of transmission to the child, but the approved mechanism is not appropriate in many countries.