Lessons for strengthening childhood immunization in low- and middle-income countries from a successful public-private partnership in rural Nigeria.

Background: Immunization is a cost-effective public health strategy to reduce vaccine preventable disease, especially in childhood.

Methods: This paper reports the philosophy, service delivery, achievements and lessons learned from an immunization program in rural Nigeria privately financed via a corporate social responsibility initiative from GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals.

Results: The immunization program served the community for a 16-y period extending from 1998 until 2015, resulting in an increase in age-appropriate immunization coverage from 43% to 78%.

Eight years of the East African Community Medicines Regulatory Harmonization initiative: Implementation, progress, and lessons learned.

Jane H. Mashingia and colleagues reveal the progress made to date for the East African Community Medicines Regulatory Harmonization initiative.

Speeding Access to Vaccines and Medicines in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Case for Change and a Framework for Optimized Product Market Authorization.

Background: The United Nations Millennium Development Goals galvanized global efforts to alleviate suffering of the world's poorest people through unprecedented public-private partnerships. Donor aid agencies have demonstrably saved millions of lives that might otherwise have been lost to disease through increased access to quality-assured vaccines and medicines. Yet, the introduction of these health interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continues to face a time lag due to factors which remain poorly understood.