BANGKOK, March 29: Pakistan may get funds from a public-private global health partnership for introducing combination vaccines against haemophilus influenza type-B (Hib), diphtheria, pneumonia, hepatitis B and meningitis in the first quarter of 2008.

Speaking at a press briefing here on Thursday, the director of the GAVI Hib Vaccine Initiative, Dr Rana Hajjeh, said that Pakistan had expressed willingness for including Hib vaccines in its routine childhood immunisation programme.

She said the health ministry of Pakistan had agreed to formally apply to GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) for funding to purchase pentavalent combinations (DTP-Hep B–Hib) vaccines, which were being used by a number of countries for prevention of pneumonia, meningitis and other life-threatening conditions in children.

She said Pakistan was expected to submit an application for the financing in April. Dr Hajjeh said that an estimated three million cases of Hib pneumonia and meningitis occurred each year in children under five across the globe, resulting in almost 400,000 deaths, mainly in resource-poor countries, which could be prevented by available yet underutilised Hib vaccines.

She said the World Health Organisation had also called for the use of Hib vaccines in all routine immunisation programmes.