OR director Maria Mayorga and her research team consisting of Julie Swann, ISE department head; Yiwei Zhang, recent OR Ph.D. graduate; Sebastian A. Rodriguez-Cartes, ISE Ph.D. student; and Benjamin T. Allaire, Health Economist at RTI, recently had an article published by PLOS Global Public Health.
The paper discusses the potential impact of rubella-containing vaccine (RCV) introduction on congenital rubella syndrome in parts of Africa and Asia. Using a validated mathematical model, they simulated different RCV scenarios over 30 years. Results suggest RCV could prevent 86,000 to 535,000 CRS births, avoiding 2.5 to 15.8 million disability-adjusted life years.
Afghanistan and Pakistan could cut 90% of CRS births with current RCV and immunization efforts, while others need to boost routine vaccination coverage. The study highlights RCV benefits and emphasizes global action to strengthen immunization programs, stressing the importance of preventing CRS.