CSE Press Release… this week
India faces severe shortage of essential vaccines, says CSE report
- Universal immunization programme crippled
- Lives of 25 million newborns at stake every year
- All this, because health ministry under Ramadoss closed down public sector vaccine-making units and handed over the business to private companies – allegedly for 'personal pecuniary gains'
- And these companies claim they can't make vaccines at affordable prices
New Delhi, July 2, 2009: India is the largest supplier of vaccines to the world – accounting for about 60 per cent of the total supply and generating business worth more than Rs 1,900 crore. Yet its domestic market of vaccines stands completely crippled, endangering the health and future of millions of its children, especially newborns.
Thanks to a move by the Union health ministry, the country is reeling from a debilitating shortage of vaccines, which has severely affected its universal immunization programme, says a recent report in Down To Earth (DTE), a fortnightly magazine that Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) helps publish.
In January 2008, the ministry, headed by the then minister Anbumani Ramadoss, had suspended the licenses of three crucial public sector suppliers of vaccines – the Central Research Institute (CRI) in Kasauli, BCG Vaccine Laboratory (BSGVL) in Chennai and Pasteur Institute of India (PII) in Coonoor. These three units together met 80 per cent of the country's vaccine requirements under the universal immunization programme.
According to the ministry's own data, compared to 2007-08, DPT (diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus) vaccination in 2008-09 (from April to November) fell by over 29 per cent in Orissa and over 36 per cent in West Bengal. BCG vaccination fell by almost 8 per cent in Uttar Pradesh and by over 11 per cent in Punjab. On an average, the availability of vaccines in different states has fallen by between 10 and 30 per cent.
Says Sunita Narain, director, CSE: "What Down To Earth has uncovered is shocking – it shows that the ministry has been particularly and criminally negligent in ensuring alternative supply of life-saving and vital vaccines in the country."
Furtive moves
A Right to Information (RTI) application filed by Down To Earth has revealed that the closure decision was taken after a World Health Organization (WHO) inspection found the units lacking in good manufacturing practices. "But the ministry refuses to explain why closure was necessary and why steps could not have been taken to improve the functioning of these units. In fact, our investigation finds that the ministry curtailed its programme to build capacity and improve the functioning of these units," says the report.
The ministry distributed the vaccine orders among three manufacturing units randomly – the private sector Serum Institute of India (Pune) and Biological Evans (Hyderabad), and the public sector Indian Immunologicals Limited (Hyderabad). A parliamentary committee has now found that a chunk of the orders were given to Biological Evans, whose 'good' manufacturing practices remained doubtful.
Moreover, a public interest litigation filed by a former special secretary in the family welfare department has alleged the closure was ordered for personal pecuniary gains. It contends that Ramadoss had taken this step to facilitate the transfer of resources to private companies linked to his party.
Procurement mess
According to the Down To Earth report, the private sector has refused to provide the vaccines at affordable rates. In fact, the report quotes a confidential document of the ministry, which says the government could not procure vaccines because private manufacturers had hiked their prices. At the same time, the government reduced its procurement budget for vaccines from Rs 140 crore in 2007-08 to Rs 138 crore in 2008-09.
"What is even more ironical is that even as the ministry closed the existing public sector vaccine units, it had no option but to procure vaccines from these same units," says the report. In fact, it procured -- illegally -- over 11 million doses of DPT, over 3 million doses of DT and 12 million doses of TT from the CRI in 2008-09.
Ministerial myopia
To manage the crisis, all that the ministry has done is to commission an Integrated Vaccine Complex in Chengalpattu, near Chennai. The project has been commissioned to HLL Lifecare Limited, a public sector unit which has no experience in vaccine manufacture. The complex is expected to be completed by 2011, though work has not even started on it. In the first phase, the company plans to repackage bulk vaccines manufactured by private companies.
"Clearly, this will only end up benefiting private pharmaceutical companies. The government, on its part, has not explained how it intends to meet the higher costs of procurement. Also, the complex is likely to function only after a few years. In this period, vaccine shortages are already taking the lives of children," says Narain.
The way out
While the government has already taken notice of the issue, it must act fast, contends the Down To Earth report. There is an urgent need to revive the public sector so that it can supply affordable and quality vaccines. The ministry should provide a time-bound programme for the revival of these units under its 100-day plan.
The report also calls for a vaccine policy to ensure adequate and continuous supply, as well as to monitor new vaccines introduced into the country's vaccination programme. The policy will also prevent a repeat of such shortsighted decisions which impact the lives of millions. "We do believe this concerns the future of our country, our infants and the newborn. It cannot and must not be taken lightly," says Narain.
- For more details, contact Vibha Varshney of Down To Earth at vibha@cseindia.org or on 9868847559.
- For this and other CSE press releases and resources, visit www.cseindia.org . Shachi Chaturvedi, who is with CSE's Media Resource Centre, can help you access them. You can reach her at shachi@cseindia.org or on 9818750007.
- For the complete Down To Earth story on the subject, visit http://www.downtoearth.org.in
- We also have direct transmissions in Hindi from the field, brought to you by Radio Down To Earth. Just listen in at http://www.downtoearth.org.in/vaccine_shortage.asp
0 comments:
Post a Comment