Letter from the Chairman, CEO and President
Securing the basic human right of good health remains out of reach for most of the two billion people living at or below the global poverty line. Yet, addressing the health needs of poor communities is essential for achieving equity, the best possible academic performance and economic prosperity. Despite significant progress in extending immunization coverage around the world, nearly 22 million children still are not receiving the vaccines they need to survive beyond the age of five. But there is cause for optimism: Economic growth has triggered greater investments in public health programs in low- and middle-income countries. The two decades since the Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) was established have been marked by profound advances in the delivery of health solutions to the world’s poorest people. Deaths among children from preventable diseases such as polio, measles and rotavirus have fallen dramatically, thanks to improved access to available vaccines and the development of new ones. There has been a surge of low-income countries adopting national health plans – and the budgets to sustain them. Also, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which infect more than one in six people worldwide, are beginning to receive the level of political support and action that is proportional to the level of suffering they inflict. And two ambitious and broadly endorsed plans – the 2011 Global Vaccine Action Plan and the 2012 London Declaration on NTDs – provide us with the best roadmaps to date for closing remaining vaccine and NTD treatment gaps, using available tools and developing next generation treatments. But our shared commitment to reach our goals cannot waver as we advance toward control and elimination targets for many diseases, attainable for some diseases
by the end of this decade. There is always a real risk that reduced engagement and a drop in interest among multilateral and government institutions, foundations and philanthropists, as well as the general public, will stall progress. The next few years present the best opportunity we will have to achieve a knockout blow on some of the world’s most pernicious diseases. Missing this window should not be an option. We believe country ownership of public health programs is crucial to address existing vaccine and NTD treatment gaps in a sustainable manner. We must accelerate efforts to help countries reach the point where they support basic health initiatives out of their own national budgets, rather than relying on continued financial support from other nations or multilateral donors. Sabin’s core programs – the Sabin Vaccine Institute Product Development Partnership, the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Vaccine Advocacy & Education – are all anchored to our goal of achieving country ownership by incorporating three principles into our work: education, partnerships and innovation. We are pleased to present Sabin’s 2013 annual report, which highlights the progress that has been made to close persistent health gaps by advocating greater political and public commitment for vaccine-preventable and neglected tropical diseases, and developing novel vaccines that will serve the world’s poor. We are grateful for your support and look forward to continuing our work together in the coming year.
Morton P. Hyman Chairman
Michael W. Marine, Ambassador (Ret.) CEO
Peter J. Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. President 3