Professor Eric Sampane-Donkor, Head of Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School has called for more research into potent and perfect vaccines to fight Pneumococcus, which he described as a public health burden.
According to him, “The enormous public health burden associated with S. pneumoniae underscores the importance of its control through vaccination. At present, two types of pneumococcal vaccines are available: conjugate vaccines and the pure polysaccharide vaccine (unconjugated)…Most of these limitations have been overcome by the relatively new conjugate vaccines, in which purified capsular polysaccharides are conjugated to a nontoxic variant of the diphtheria toxin.”
Delivering an Inaugural Lecture on the Topic; “The 130 Year War Between Man And Pneumococcus; Who Is Winning?, Professor Eric Sampane-Donkor explained that pneumococcus, was first isolated in 1881 and recognized as one of the most infectious microbial pathogens, recording case fatality rates of up to 66% and that pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), he said consist of 10 or 13 capsular types and have been introduced into the immunization programme of about 146 countries.
He said, following the introduction of PCVs, there has been a dramatic decline in pneumococcal infections in vaccinated children and a herd immunity effect in other age groups.
However, this success has been tempered by serotype replacement for ongoing invasive pneumococcal disease.
Speaking in an exclusive interview after the lecture, Professor Eric Sampane-Donkor said research into Pneumococcus had informed the introduction of PCV 13 Vaccines in Ghana but there is the need for further research to find out if there are new strains emerging so as to find suitable vaccines to fight it.
According to him, Pneumococcus kills 500,000 children every year and 60 out of every 100 children who have Pneumococcus will not see their 5th birthday, that he said “is the danger of Pneumococcus.”
He also mentioned that the current vaccines are not perfect vaccines; hence there is the need for research into the discovery of potent vaccines.
Professor Eric Sampane-Donkor also called for surveillance, stressing that “The war is ongoing; the pace of the war is being dictated by Pneumococcus and if more is not done to get potent/perfect vaccines to fight it, I am afraid the war will turn in favour of the Pneumococcus.
Professor Eric Sampane-Donkor thus provided an in-depth review of pneumococcus, delivering insights into the biology and pathogenicity of the organism.
Globally, he stressed, there are about 14.5 million episodes of serious pneumococcal disease among children less than 5 years of age each year, resulting in approximately 500,000 deaths, the majority of which occur in low- and middle-income countries.
He also averred that the public health burden related to pneumococcus is further heightened by the increasing resistance of the organism to essential antimicrobial agents particularly penicillin, cephalosporins and macrolides.
Prof. Eric Sampane-Donkor’s works applies concepts from several fields to help address the global infectious disease challenge through research. His current research interests focus on understanding the dynamics of infectious pathogens in at-risk populations, such as patients with stroke, sickle cell disease and diabetes and prospect of the development of new, more effective drugs for a range of deadly diseases.
By Prosper Agbenyega