World Health Organization appeals for meningitis vaccine funds
24 September 2003 - A new meningitis vaccine has been developed in record time, yet unless enough donors are secured in the next two weeks, thousands could die in Africa during the coming meningitis season, say the World Health Organization and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
On Thursday, 25 September from 15h30 to 16h30 (Geneva time), WHO, MSF and GlaxoSmithKline officials will speak to the media about the story behind the development of this new vaccine and urgency of starting production. Dr Anarfi Asamoah-Baah, WHO Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases, Dr Bernard Pécoul, MSF’s Director for the Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines, and Jean Stéphenne, president of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals will answer questions from the press at a live virtual press conference.
The press conference will be broadcast from the WHO television studio.
- +41 1 419 9021 from outside of Switzerland,
- 01 419 9021 from within Switzerland;
Journalists will be able to listen via teleconferencing and queue to ask questions. To participate in the conference call (up to 300 participants) journalists can dial:
- To ask a question, dial 14 to be placed on a queuing system.
- If in queue and the question is asked by a previous journalist, dial 15 to abandon queue.
Give Swisscom your last name and press agency (i.e. Mr Miller, Reuters) and you will be connected to conference. Video and/or audio broadcast quality is available, via satellite and European Broadcast Union. Journalists must contact EBU planning on (+41) 022 717 2900, to reserve (RML) link. email dploperations@ebu.ch