The Jordan Meningitis Foundation obtained a grant from the Embassy of Japan In Amman for U S $ 83,542.00 on the 29th of October 1998 to finance Its pilot project to vaccinate the children of a poor area in Amman with the HIB Vaccine.

 

        The Foundation selected Hay Nazzal as the statistics showed that this area is poor, is highly populated, has a high rate of new borns , in addition to the high rate of various disabilities caused by Meningitis.

 

        The JMF coordinated closely with the ministry of health throughout. The Vaccine Specifications were established , a tender was floated the successful bidder was awarded a contract for the supply of 28000 shot of vaccine, and finally the vaccines were delivered to the stores of the ministry of health  on 21st of February 1999.

 

        The tendering for the supply of the vaccine managed to lower the unit cost, and the decision to Vaccinate only the under three years of age instead of the originally suggested under five years of age meant that more children in the Nazzal area and other neighboring areas benefited from the vaccine. Some 20 000 children were vaccinated in several Ministry of Health Centers. The Vaccination also was given to Children in some areas of Salt and Jerash.

 

        Throughout the Implementation of the Pilot Project, There were no reported cases of Meningitis and no reports of side effects of the vaccine in the areas covered by the Project.

 

        The medical committee of the JMF conducted a study, completed in June 2000, about the feasibility of the HIB vaccine for children under the age of five years, and it emphasized the financial and social advantages of administering the Vaccine, and the importance of including it in the National Vaccination Program without delay.

 

        Thanks to the generous grant received from the Embassy of Japan, which covered the costs of the pilot project, the JMF was successful in convincing the ministry of health that HIB Vaccine should be include in the National Program. The decision was taken recently to include the HIB Vaccine in the Ministry’s program as of the beginning of the year 2001, to cover 600000 children under 5  in Jordan.

 

 

 

        Once of the basic aims of the foundation is now achieved.