'More funding needed' to fight yellow fever

More funding is needed in order to increase the emergency stockpile of yellow fever vaccine, according to the International Coordinating Group on Yellow Fever Vaccination Provision.

People in African countries, who are most vulnerable to the disease, need to be catered for through the stockpile.

However, it is on course to run out next year and there is no funding in place to cover future campaigns to replenish supplies.

Dr Edward Hoekstra, Unicef senior health specialist, said that much progress has been made in regard to yellow fever, but more needs to be done.

"We have to finish the job we started or the good work that has been done will be lost," he stated.

"If the stockpile of yellow fever vaccine is allowed to run out, countries that have not yet been reached by immunisation campaigns will be unfairly burdened with the disease."

Togo, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Cameroon have all completed vaccination campaigns - no outbreaks of yellow fever have occurred in the countries since.

News brought to you by Global Health TV, connecting health communities