smallpox eradication - libdoc.who.int - World Health Organization

10. THE INTENSIFIED PROGRAMME, 1967-1980 467
earlier years. A review of the origin and
history of each of the contributions shows
that personal, often repeated, appeals by
individual members of the smallpox eradication
programme staff had to be made in order
to obtain each contribution.
SUPPLY OF VACCINE AND VACCI-
NATION INSTRUMENTS
The availability at all times of satisfactory
freeze-dried vaccine and vaccination instruments
was essential to the successful execution
of the programme. Without vaccine and
bifurcated needles or jet injectors, programme
staff could do nothing; with them, methods
could usually be devised to deal, at least to
some extent, with shortages of transport and
equipment, and so sustain both momentum
and morale. Because of the importance of
vaccine and vaccination instruments,
Chapter 11 is devoted exclusively to the
subject. Here, we summarize the methods
used to ensure that both were readily
available to all endemic countries and to those
adjacent to them.
Vaccine Requirements
It had originally, but erroneously, been
assumed that the provision of adequate
quantities of suitable freeze-dried vaccine
would not present a major problem. It was
believed that, for most endemic countries, if
sufficient vaccine were not already available,
it would either be ~rovided in the form of
bilateral contributions or soon be produced in
the endemic countries themselves. Additional
requirements would be met through contributions
made through the ~oluniarv Fund
for Health ~romotiuon, the pledged 'annual
contribution of 25 million doses by the USSR
being considered almost sufficient for this
purpose.
From what was known in 1967, adequate
supplies of vaccine appeared to be avaiiable.
In the Americas a number of laboratories
were already producing freeze-dried vaccine
and an agreement was signed by the Pan
American Health Organization with Connaught
Laboratories of Canada to provide for
continuing consultation, the training of
technicians and the monitoring of vaccine
throughout that region. It seemed, therefore,
that this region was already self-sufficient, or
soon would be. In the African Region, the
programme in western and central Africa was
being carried out with the assistance of the
USA, which provided the necessary vaccine
to 20 countries. In virtuallv all other countries,
some type of vaccination programme
was in progress and it was assumed that many
had alreadv obtained satisfactorv vaccine
from some source, although it was recognized
that additional vaccine would be required if
the programmes were to be intensified. In the
South-East Asia Region, only Nepal and
possibly Indonesia among the endemic countries
appeared to require vaccine. India's
needs were being met by domestic production
and bilateral contributions from the USSR.
Table 10.8. International expenditure on smallpox eradication, 1967- 1979 (US$)
Year
Voluntary Fund for
WHO regular budget
Health Promotion,
for
Other Organs of
United Natlons Bilateral support Total
Smallpox Eradlcatlon
system
Total 33 565 248 37 643 037 2 492 328 24 269 124 97 969 737