Reposted with permission from ONE.org.

Ciro de Quadros, executive vice president at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, sheds some light around dengue, a disease that puts 2.5 billion people at risk.

Every day, parents in the United States take their children to doctors to be immunized against deadly diseases. Vaccines are arguably one of the greatest scientific achievements and save more lives than any other health intervention. Yet today, at least 2.5 billion people -– two fifths of the world’s population -– are at risk of contracting dengue, a disease for which a vaccine is not yet available.

Map showing areas of dengue risk via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Currently, there is no treatment for dengue, underscoring the need for a vaccine. The most effective means of mosquito control, including bed nets, changes to human habitation and behavior, and long-lasting modification of natural and man-made mosquito habitats, are difficult to implement in poverty-stricken settings. Additionally, climate change and international travel are further complicating the situation.

The need for increased access to vaccines has been center-stage. Global donors committed $4.3 billion dollars last Monday to fund the expansion of vaccines into the developing world. Their collective efforts have ensured that globally 250 million children will be immunized and four million lives will be saved by 2015.

The milestone achieved in global health this week is cause for celebration. Already, the rising energy and emphasis on the vital role of vaccines in improving health across the world is palpable, and increasing focus on dengue represents a critical opportunity to capitalize on this achievement.

Part of doing so is raising awareness of the true toll that dengue takes on society. Asia took the lead by marking June 15, 2011 as the first annual ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). This is an important step in drawing attention to a disease that has increased explosively in recent years -– from 1.2 million per year in 1998 to at least 50 million annual cases today. It also comes at a time when there is both new hope for a dengue vaccine and renewed efforts by the global health community to get vaccines to those most in need.

Dengue is exacting an enormous toll on the health and economic development of millions of families in the developing world, but the situation is not without hope. There has been renewed interest in developing a dengue vaccine, and a range of producers, large and small, are working towards this goal. The most advanced of these could be ready for licensure as soon as 2015, and there are others only a few years behind.

Now is time to add dengue to the chorus of voices demanding expanded access to vaccines. Only through a consistent and coordinated approach by the global health community can we fully realize the potential benefits of this urgently needed vaccine.

Dr. de Quadros is the executive vice president at the Sabin Vaccine Institute and is a leader in the development of successful surveillance and containment strategies for the eradication of smallpox worldwide, and has directed successful polio and measles eradication efforts in the Americas.