Strategy to Address Bottleneck of (Budget/Expenditure) for Pneumococcal Vaccinations in Vietnam (Essay Sample)

Strategy to Address Bottleneck of (Budget/Expenditure) for Pneumococcal Vaccinations in Vietnam Name Institutional Affiliation Course Instructor Date Strategy to Address Bottleneck of (Budget/Expenditure) for Pneumococcal Vaccinations in Vietnam 1. Describe pneumonia and its impact on the under-five mortality rate in Vietnam Pneumonia is an acute disease of the respiratory system that affects the lungs (Qian et al., 2022). The disease has three causative agents: bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The main point of attack in the lungs is the alveoli. The alveoli of a healthy lung are filled with air during breathing; however, a pneumonic lung is filled either with pus or fluid, limiting the oxygen in the lungs. As a result, one experiences pain when breathing. The most common type of pneumonia is that caused by Streptococcus pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia is usually treated using antibiotics. There are three prevention mechanisms for pneumonia: Immunization, proper nutrition, and ensuring environmental sanitation. Pneumonia contributes to 14% of all mortalities among children below five years (Qian et al., 2022). Pneumonia is one of the infectious diseases responsible for the highest number of deaths among children globally. Complications of pneumonia may lead to meningitis which is usually associated with permanent disabilities. Pneumonia can also lead to children developing sepsis that may cause amputations or even death. Additionally, Pneumococcal otitis media, which affects the middle ear, may result in hearing loss. Therefore, the disease is a public health concern in Vietnam, where the burden of the disease still remains ten times higher compared to the developed countries. The disease causes premature deaths and reduces the quality of life among children below five years. To the parents and caregivers of children below five years, the disease causes a financial burden due to the treatment. Prevention is better and cheaper than treatment. However, there is still an issue in the prevention of the disease in Vietnam. 2. Describe the bottleneck: (government budget/expenditure) on healthcare & vaccination programs or anything related to the money spent on immunization. i.e., the lack of monetary resources that the government spends on vaccination programs/healthcare Pneumonia is a global health concern and is responsible for over 800,000 deaths among children below five years annually (Temple et al., 2018). The highest prevalence of the disease is reported in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Vietnam is located in South Asia and therefore is a focal point as far as Pneumonia prevention is concerned. The use of safe, accessible, and affordable vaccines is the only effective strategy for preventing pneumonia. World Health Organization recommended every nation include pneumococcal vaccines in their routine vaccine programs. The recommendation is three doses of the vaccine per child. Vietnam is a high-population country with an equally high growth rate. The health sector is one of the most expensive sectors in Vietnam. Vaccine purchasing is expensive, and Vietnam cannot manage vaccination financing and hence relies heavily on donors. Low-income countries have always relied on the Pneumococcal Advance Market Commitment (AMC) initiated in 2009 by World Bank, Gavi, and other donors (Daniels et al., 2010). The move was geared towards increasing the affordability of safe conjugate pneumococcal vaccines. Countries, including Vietnam, relied on the support of AMC in providing pneumococcal vaccines. The Gavi allocated $1.5 billion to support countries to get pneumococcal vaccines (Daniels et al., 2010). UNICEF helps in procuring and 11distributing the vaccines in countries. The reliance on donor-funded vaccine programs is a challenge because it is not a sustainable endeavor. Donor funding is not a permanent source of financing. Therefore, Vietnam needs to strategize on being self-reliant in its vaccination programs, pneumococcal vaccinations included. GAVI plans to stop the program by 2029, expecting beneficiary countries to become self-reliant (Daniels et al., 2010). 3. Chose a strategy to address one or two of the causes of the bottleneck found in EQUIST Production and manufacturing of pneumococcal vaccines are expensive, and most countries, Vietnam included, rely on donors. The big question is, does Vietnam have the capability of producing its own vaccines? The answer is pretty simple and clear, the right prioritization of funding by the Vietnam government is key to getting us vaccines. Vietnam has adequate resources required for production. There are several research institutions that have the capability of producing alternative vaccines with the same efficacy. Inadequate funding limits the capability of these research institutions. Self-production of pneumococcal vaccines will also generate a lot of income, as Vietnam will supply the vaccines to many other countries. The first step is selling the idea to the government of Vietnam through active lobbying by the health experts through the minister of health. Successful idea adoption will be followed by lawmakers who will pass the motion to ...