Pfizer, a global pharmaceutical corporation headquartered in New York City, is organizing a refresher training of trainers program on a variety of immunization topics including the proper handling of Multi Dose Vials (MDV) with open container policy in GAVI supported countries.
Pfizer has partnered AMP Services, an organization dedicated to providing the tools to promote preventive medicine and public health worldwide, to execute the training of trainer’s sessions in 16 countries in 2017.
During the first four months of the launch of the programme, fifteen countries have already received the new MDV and nine of these have completed the training of trainers programs.
“We developed training materials that are easy to use for health workers and allow for interactive learning process at all levels”, said Georgiana Golodnius, Training Project Manager of AMP Services. In the countries where we have implemented training of the trainers, 97.3% of the participants think the developed training tools are useful and relevant.”
“Indeed we learnt a lot from the training and I feel the knowledge gained will be used to train other health workers in the country” Mr Mwagomba, from Malawi, one of the beneficiary countries.
Background
In support of its commitment to help address the practical constraints experienced by health workers operating in many Gavi countries, Pfizer developed Prevenar 13® in the Multi-Dose Vial-MDV presentation (4 doses per vial).
In April 2016, the MDV presentation received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Subsequently the MDV was pre-qualified by the WHO in July 2016.
In January 2017, Pfizer launched the new multi-dose vial- MDV which was prequalified in accordance with WHO’s ‘open container policy.’ With its ‘open container’ attributes, it allows for the fourth dose to be used for up to 28 days after the first dose in drawn and providing the recommended cold storage requirements have been met.
The new product will help to significantly reduce storage requirements and shipping costs in communities with health systems that are still developing.
However without proper training on how to store or handle the new vaccine can hinder its effectiveness of the MDV hence the training to ensure the efficient use of the multi-dose vial.
The company is dedicated to increasing access to immunizations in countries that carry the greatest proportion of global burden of pneumococcal disease, which can help prevent diseases and save lives.
BY Jamila Akweley Okertchiri