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WHO approves Indian meningitis vaccine for African infants

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Washington: The World Health Organization (WHO) has opened the door to routine immunization of infants in sub-Saharan Africa by approving a vaccine manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India Ltd (SIIL) that has all but got rid of the deadly meningitis epidemics.

In the four years since its introduction in Africa, MenAfriVac vaccine, which is both innovative and affordable, has had an immediate and dramatic impact in breaking the cycle of meningitis A epidemics.

“Developing the MenAfriVac vaccine fit exactly Serum’s ingrained philosophy of bringing down prices of vaccines so that underprivileged children of the world are protected,” said Cyrus Poonawalla, CEO of SIIL, in a statement.

“We at Serum Institute are extremely proud of being part of an international partnership that brought an end to a public health issue that has been plaguing sub-Saharan Africa for more than a century,” he added.

The announcement about the WHO approval came from the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP) – a partnership between the global health non-profit organisation PATH, WHO and Serum Institute of India Ltd (SIIL), which manufactures the MenAfriVac vaccine.

In 2004, MVP partnered with SIIL to develop an affordable, tailor-made vaccine for use against meningitis A in sub-Saharan Africa.

MenAfriVac was developed in record time at less than one tenth the cost of a typical new vaccine.

Since campaigns started in 2010, MenAfriVac has been administered to over 215 million people in 15 countries of the African meningitis belt: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d;Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Togo and The Gambia.

“Initial mass vaccination campaigns with MenAfriVac have been highly effective in reducing the number of meningitis A cases,” said Marie-Pierre Preziosi, director of the MVP.

The WHO decision means that the new, five microgram dose of the meningitis A vaccine meets international standards of quality, safety, and efficacy and can, therefore, be administered to children younger than one year of age in Africa.

MenAfriVac had previously been authorised for use in children and young adults, aged 1-29 years.

“We are more than halfway through with introducing the vaccine in meningitis-belt countries and the first introductions have been a stunning success,” said Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele, director of the WHO department of immunization, vaccines and biologicals.

“Elimination of meningitis epidemics will require meningitis belt countries’ political commitment to complete the mass campaigns and introduce the vaccine in the ‘Expanded Programme on Immunization’. Then and only then will we win the battle against meningitis,” he added.

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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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