In 2010, global health leaders declared a “call to action” for researchers to develop or improve 20 vaccines within the next 10 years. Vaccines have prevented a number of deadly and disabling diseases like small pox, polio and whooping cough. Researchers have come together to write a series of papers for “The Lancet,” which will discuss the future of vaccines and the factors that will contribute to their success.
According to Oxford University professor, Richard Moxon, the two most important vaccines to focus on will be AIDS and Malaria. While reports of the success of the SIV vaccine have increased hopes of an HIV vaccine in the scientific community, Moxon believes that an HIV vaccine is still many years in the making. However, the possibility of a vaccine for malaria may come to fruition in as few as five years.
The call to action will also include vaccines and therapies for chronic, degenerative diseases like Type II diabetes, cancer, and heart disease e.t.c.
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It is important that researchers put more effort into finding cancer cures and treatments. Cancer has been neglected by a number of countries in Africa that usually place all of their resources and efforts into fighting AIDS and malaria. While both of these diseases are devastating, deaths from cancer continues to increase due to lack of education about prevention.
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is one of the four major health crises facing mankind this century. Global Cancer Control reports that cancer kills more people worldwide than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
Researchers face social barriers associated with administering vaccines. Public scrutiny of vaccines has increased. Scientists and health officials must find ways to ensure that vaccines are safe and will not harm those who receive them.
It will be interesting to see what new and improved vaccines scientists will develop over the next few years. Stay tuned to Face2Face Africa for all the latest news on health and vaccine development.
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Source: The Lancet, Global Cancer Control
