ASIA/CHINA - Media conference today in Beijing: hepatitis B vaccine for 11 million children. It is hoped this will prevent 200.000 deaths caused by possible chronic consequences

Tuesday, 25 July 2006

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - Eleven million children in China are being vaccinated against Hepatitis B thanks to a campaign launched by GAVI Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation in collaboration with the Chinese government. The news was announced at a media conference in Beijing this morning given by representatives of the Chinese Health Ministry and GAVI an important public-private partnership which includes UNICEF, the World Health Organisation and the World Bank.
A nation wide epidemiological survey revealed that 120 million people in China suffer from chronic Hepatitis B. GAVI hopes the vaccination campaign will drastically reduce the future incidence of the development in China of cancer of the liver.
Since the campaign started in 2002, one third of the children has been vaccinated also in remote mountain villages and camps of nomads. It is estimated that the campaign will prevent 200.000 deaths due to the chronic consequences of Hepatitis B. (AP) (Agenzia Fides; Righe:17; Parole:176)


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