Talking vaccines with Sen. Hagan’s Raleigh office

Mar 31st, 2011 4:20 PM UTC
By Field

ONE members from across the state of North Carolina are eager for the budget to ensure that smart, cost-effective programs like GAVI are able to provide life-saving vaccines to children in developing nations.

Representing parents, educators, heath professionals, students and ONE members who have spent time in Africa, we told staff members from Senator Kay Hagan’s Raleigh office that supporting vaccines is one of the most cost-effective ways to save lives and prevent disease for a lifetime.

Tara Stienmetz, a returning Peace Corps volunteer and graduate student at Duke University, stressed how effective vaccine administration was for getting entire families to the clinic for complete health assessments, including HIV/AIDS testing. Together with its partners, GAVI prevented more than 5 million child deaths since 2000, and with additional funding, expects to reach 243 million children and save the lives of 4 million children in five years.

GAVI is a program with clear goals and measurable outcomes. We asked that Senator Hagan support the president’s FY12 request of $115 million for this program. More children die from pneumonia and diarrhea than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. We now have access to two new vaccines (pneumococcal and rotavirus) to prevent these deaths. At a time when there is such unrest in the world, we are encouraged that we have such a positive program to stand behind.

-Rachel Fox, ONE Congressional District leader, North Carolina

TAGS: Mothers Day 2011, North Carolina, ONE