Enabling implementation of the Global Vaccine Action Plan: Developing investment cases to achieve targets for measles and rubella prevention

    Authors

    K. M. Thompson; P. M. Strebel; A. Dabbagh; T. Cherian;S. L. Cochi

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Vaccine

    Keywords

    Global Vaccine Action Plan; Measles; Rubella; Economic analysis; Coordination; UNITED-STATES; COST-EFFECTIVENESS; INFECTIOUS-DISEASES; ECONOMIC-EVALUATION; CHILDRENS VACCINES; POLIO VACCINATION; HERD-IMMUNITY; ERADICATION; ELIMINATION; IMPACT; Immunology; Medicine, Research & Experimental

    Abstract

    Global prevention and control of infectious diseases requires significant investment of financial and human resources and well-functioning leadership and management structures. The reality of competing demands for limited resources leads to trade-offs and questions about the relative value of specific investments. Developing investment cases can help to provide stakeholders with information about the benefits, costs, and risks associated with available options, including examination of social, political, governance, and ethical issues. We describe the process of developing investment cases for globally coordinated management of action plans for measles and rubella as tools for enabling the implementation of the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP). We focus on considerations related to the timing of efforts to achieve measles and rubella goals independently and within the context of ongoing polio eradication efforts, other immunization priorities, and other efforts to control communicable diseases or child survival initiatives. Our analysis suggests that the interactions between the availability and sustainability of financial support, sufficient supplies of vaccines, capacity of vaccine delivery systems, and commitments at all levels will impact the feasibility and timing of achieving national, regional, and global goals. The timing of investments and achievements will determine the net financial and health benefits obtained. The methodology, framing, and assumptions used to characterize net benefits and uncertainties in the investment cases will impact estimates and perceptions about the value of prevention achieved overall by the GVAP. We suggest that appropriately valuing the benefits of investments of measles and rubella prevention will require the use of integrated dynamic disease, economic, risk, and decision analytic models in combination with consideration of qualitative factors, and that synthesizing information in the form of investment cases may help stakeholders manage expectations as they chart the course ahead and navigate the decade of vaccines. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Vaccine

    Volume

    31

    Publication Date

    1-1-2013

    Document Type

    Review

    Language

    English

    First Page

    B149

    Last Page

    B156

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000318462000017

    ISSN

    0264-410X

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