Typhoid fever, a bacterial disease caused by Salmonella typhi and paratyphi, is a common cause of prolonged febrile illness which has remained a major public health problem in developing economies, including Nigeria.
While the disease has attained global distribution and is an important cause of morbidity and mortality due to poor sanitation, poor standard of personal hygiene and consumption of contaminated food, the disease is prevalent in Nigeria with huge socio-economic burden leading to huge financial burden, man-hour losses, and school absenteeism.
As thousands of Nigerians come down with typhoid fever periodically, experts have raised concern over the growing incidences of the disease describing it as serious menace in the country. Given this worrisome development, stakeholders in the health sector have hailed the advent of Tyvivac vaccine, adding that this typhoid vaccine will confer immunity against typhoid fever in adults and children over two years of age in the country.
At the unveiling of the typhoid vaccine in Lagos, Paul Orhii, Director General, National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) expressed concern over the growing increasing incidences of the illness among Nigerians, pointing out that most laboratory tests conducted is often positive to typhoid fever and/or malarial parasite.
“Typhoid fever is prevalent due to poor sanitation, poor standard of personal hygiene and consumption of contaminated food as well as contamination of water supply as a result of inadequate sewage disposal,” Orhii explained.
Endorsing the Tyvivac vaccine, Orhii recounted that NAFDAC alongside Creative Ideas Pharmaceuticals Limited have been on the process in the last four years.
“We have been evaluating the vaccine and all clinical and paper works are true. The vaccine will be essential and of interest to Nigeria. I feel elated that we have a vaccine for Nigerians now,” the DG added.
Tonye Briggs, managing director, Creative Ideas Limited, sole franchisor for the distribution of the vaccine in Africa explained that the process of ensuring the safety and efficacy of the typhoid vaccine informed factory visits to Vietnam with NAFDAC inspectors who were convinced that the vaccine production processes met global best practices and standards.
According to Briggs “The journey began in earnest about four years ago when in our quest to bring succour to many Nigerians affected by this scourge, we discovered this vaccine in Vietnam. Over the last four years, we have made several trips to Vietnam to meet with our partners and the manufacturer of the vaccine, Dalat vaccine Company (DAVAC).
“Clinical trials and other tests were administered and the verdict, eventually, was that the vaccine was safe and effective in the management of typhoid. This vaccine is now available in Nigeria,” Briggs added.
Felix Ayebae, chief executive officer, Fidson Pharmaceuticals Plc acknowledged the efficacy of the vaccine, saying he has been taking it in the last six years.
According to Ayebae “Typhoid fever causes man-hour losses and the vaccine if taken would keep an individual safe from typhoid for three years. It is a product that will add value to the lives of Nigerians. For six years I have been using it. I recommend it to all Nigerians. I also call on the company to search for vaccine for other diseases plaguing the country.”
A peep into the vaccine shows that the polysaccharide vaccine is licensed in over 92 countries. Public health experts believe that the vaccine is deemed most appropriate as a single dose regimen because of difficulties in ensuring precisely-timed administration of multi-dose vaccine regimens in developing country settings and potential reduction of production cost by manufacturing locally.
Experts believe that reduction in typhoid and other waterborne diseases in industrialized nations are not only from the access to clean water and improvement in sanitation – multifactorial and gradual process. With access to clean water and improvement in sanitation set to provide health and development benefits, such intervention requires political will and takes time to fully implement.
ALEXANDER CHIEJINA
