MPs add their support to Parliamentary Motion on Pneumococcal Disease Prevention in the Developing World (20 Mar 2007)

House of Commons, Westminster, UK, March 20, 2007

Dr Desmond Turner MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pneumococcal Disease Prevention in the Developing World, has launched a Parliamentary motion which calls on the House of Commons to note the devastating effect of pneumococcal disease and the potential to save lives through vaccination. The Early Day Motion (No.1120), or EDM, also welcomes UK government efforts to accelerate vaccination development through its support of the pilot Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) for pneumococcal vaccines and the significant contribution that it will make to preventing child deaths in the developing world.

The EDM goes on to welcome the formation of the APPG and the work it will carry out in helping to raise awareness with policymakers within and beyond the UK of the disease and international efforts to ensure sustainable financing of its prevention.

An EDM is a motion for which no date has been fixed for debate. EDMs allow Members to put on record their opinion on a subject and to canvass support for it from fellow Members. EDMs are fully constituted motions before Parliament, and carry the full power of such motions.

Dr. Turner's EDM on Pneumococcal Disease Prevention in the Developing World reads:

EDM 1120

PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE PREVENTION IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD

That this House notes with grave concern that according to the World Health Organisation pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis are responsible for up to 1.6 million deaths each year of which one million are children; further notes that 90 per cent. of pneumococcal pneumonia deaths occur in the developing world and that children with HIV/AIDS are up to 40 times more likely to contract pneumococcal disease; further notes that many of these deaths could be prevented with the use of a vaccine; welcomes the commitment by HM Treasury and the Department for International Development to support the pilot Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) for pneumococcal vaccines, which could save the lives of up to 5.4 million children by 2030; notes the contribution which this programme will make towards the UK's commitment to meeting the United Nations' Millennium Development Goal 4, `to reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five by 2015'; further welcomes the formation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pneumococcal Disease Prevention in the Developing World in response to the urgent need to improve child survival and as a forum for raising awareness among policymakers nationally, across Europe and around the world about the disease, its prevention through vaccination and international efforts to ensure sustainable financing; and hopes that the pneumococcal vaccine pilot AMC will pave the way for new vaccines against other childhood diseases such as malaria.

To date 15th June, 2007, 72 Members of Parliament from a broad cross-section of the UK's political parties have already signed the motion.

For the latest updated list of signatories see: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=32867&SESSION=885