World Vision Ireland to play key role in Ebola+ programme
- World Vision Ireland will work with West African communities to dispel misconceptions about the vaccine.
- World Vision Ireland will play major role as part of a consortia chosen by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) to participate in its Ebola+ programme.
The child focussed NGO will receive a substantial grant from IMI to partner on the Ebola vaccine Deployment, Acceptance & Compliance project (EBODAC) and will work on the ground in West Africa to build trust amongst communities for a prime-boost vaccine regimen in development at the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson and to dispel misconceptions about Ebola and about the vaccine itself.
“The stigma surrounding Ebola, coupled with a suspicion of vaccines in general, may deter people from getting vaccinated. World Vision Ireland, along with its partners, will develop a communication strategy and tools to promote the acceptance and uptake of new Ebola vaccines.” said Helen Keogh, Chief Executive of World Vision Ireland.
World Vision will train community leaders, including faith leaders, in using the correct scientific knowledge when discussing Ebola and the vaccination with their communities.
World Vision Ireland will be on the ground working closely with interested parties, including the Ministries of Health. The NGO will train community leaders, including faith leaders, in using the correct scientific knowledge when discussing Ebola and the vaccination with their communities. They will also be involved in ensuring that all ethical, data privacy and regulatory requirements are complied with in each country that the trial takes place in, to ensure the well-being of those who take part.
One of the project’s most important products will be a platform, based on mobile phone technology, dedicated to Ebola vaccines. As well as providing local communities with information on Ebola and vaccines, reminders will be sent through mobile phones to people receiving the ‘prime boost’ vaccine to return to get their second ‘booster’ dose. It will also facilitate the tracking of vaccination coverage and will communicate details of local training programmes. World Vision Ireland has used this mobile phone technology since 2012 to successfully support community health workers in providing maternal and infant care in Africa.
“We are very proud to be a partner in this crucial programme which we hope will tackle a range of challenges in Ebola. The programme should have an impact on both current and future outbreaks and we hope that it will play a key role in the battle against the Ebola virus.” said Ms Keogh
"The programme should have an impact on both current and future outbreaks and we hope that it will play a key role in the battle against the Ebola virus.”
“As we are all aware, the current Ebola outbreak is killing thousands and having a detrimental effect on communities in West Africa. We need to move quickly in order to fight this disease. I would like to commend the IMI on putting together a rapid collaborative response.” she concluded.
World Vision Ireland will partner with Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Grameen Foundation and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to support the implementation of the EBODAC project.
A total of eight projects have been selected for funding under the IMI Ebola+ programme. (Information about each of these projects is attached.) Between them, they have a total budget of €215 million, part of which comes from Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation programme, and part of which comes from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) partners in the projects.
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Notes to editor
World Vision Ireland spokespeople are available to comment, including Magnus Coteh, World Vision Ireland AIM Health Coordinator, who has just returned from working on World Vision’s Ebola response in Sierra Leone
The Ebola prime-boost vaccine regimen trials are anticipated to begin in West Africa in May this year.
The prime-boost vaccine regimen does not include any ‘live’ virus and is therefore not capable of causing anyone to become infected with Ebola.
The current Ebola epidemic is unprecedented in its scale and geographical distribution. According to the latest reports from the WHO, as of 4 January there have been over 20,000 confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of EVD in the current outbreak and over 8,000 deaths, most of them in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
This project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA.
The Grant Agreements for some projects, including EBODAC, selected under the first call of the some Ebola+ programme are still being finalised. Final information on all selected projects, including budget details, will be published once the Grant Agreements have been signed.
For further information contact Niamh Cooper, Head of Communications, World Vision Ireland at 087 942 3371