AMP and Togolese Government to Continue Collaboration on Disease Surveillance and Vaccinology

Lomé, Togo, April 8, 2010 – The Agence de Médecine Préventive (AMP) announced today that it will carry out a surveillance study (named “PneumoTone”) in collaboration with the Togolese government to determine the burden of pneumococcal disease in Togo.

The study will evaluate the incidence of pneumococcal meningitis, pneumonia, and viral respiratory infection among all age groups in the Tône district bordering Burkina Faso. The data, which will provide the first population-based estimates of pneumonia and viral respiratory infection burden in the African meningitis belt, will serve as a baseline for assessing the likely impact of pneumococcal vaccines.

Pneumococcal disease, which is caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcus, is a major public health problem worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.6 million people, including up to one million children under five years old, die every year of pneumococcal pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis. Particularly high levels of the disease have been detected across all age groups in several countries within the meningitis belt, including Togo.

The best way to prevent pneumococcal disease is through vaccination. Vaccines provide immunity against several of the 91 types (or serotypes) of pneumococcus. Currently, pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for infants and young children are marketed internationally. These vaccines have proved highly effective in reducing the incidence of severe pneumococcal disease among children under age five in industrialized countries. As a result, many developing countries, including Togo, have expressed interest to the GAVI Alliance in adopting pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.

Before vaccine introduction, however, it is important to conduct surveillance to assess the burden of pneumococcal disease. This information is necessary to identify the potential value of the vaccine and to monitor the future impact of vaccination. Yet, quality surveillance data on pneumococcal disease is largely unavailable in most regions of Africa. This is due to the complexity of diagnostic methods, which are a challenge for most routine surveillance systems.

“The new [surveillance] study will enable the Togolese government to identify patterns in disease characteristics such as age and serotype distribution, which influence the choice of vaccination strategy,” said Dr. Judith Mueller, senior medical epidemiologist at AMP.

PneumoTone is a continuation of collaboration between the Togolese Ministry of Health and AMP that dates back to 1997, when they first worked together on a meningitis study. Since 2003, AMP has provided support to the Ministry of Health for bacterial meningitis surveillance in three regions of the country. And in 2007, AMP assisted in the country’s yellow fever campaign.

Moreover, about 50 Togolese have participated in EPIVAC, a master’s degree program in vaccinology and health services management for district-level medical officers. EPIVAC is implemented by AMP in partnership with governments, international organizations (WHO, UNICEF), donor countries, the vaccine industry, and the universities of Cocody-Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) and Paris-Dauphine (France). The goal of the program is to improve vaccine coverage in GAVI-eligible countries by enhancing the technical and managerial skills of local health workers.

In 2009, Togo set up a local branch of the EPIVAC International Network (EPINET), a professional network designed to harness the experience and expertise of former EPIVAC participants.

Moreover, Togo has agreed to participate in Africhol, a three-year program that aims to improve cholera prevention and control in Africa. Implemented by AMP, the project will develop a surveillance network in at least eight African countries.