Tuesday May 30, 3:21 pm Eastern Time
>>UNIVEC Chairman to Participate in News Conference With UN Ambassador Richard Holbrooke to Call for Auto-Destruct Needle Policy in Immunization Programs
FARMINGDALE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2000--The chairman of UNIVEC (NASDAQ/UNVC), Joel Schoenfeld, will participate in a news conference with United States Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke at which the Ambassador will announce his support for the worldwide use of auto-destruct needles in immunization programs.
Also announcing its support for an auto-destruct syringe policy to reduce the spread of disease by the improper re-use of needles will be the Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute, represented by Mr. Sabin's widow, Heloisa, the organization's chairman, H.R. ``Shep'' Shepherd, and Ciro de Quadros of the Pan American Health Organization. The news conference will be held at the United Nations on Wednesday, May 31, 2000 at 11 a.m.
In addition, it will be announced at the event that UNIVEC will provide 660,000 auto-destruct syringes to the new measles eradication program in Honduras. Merck & Co., whose chief executive officer, Ray Gilmartin, will also participate, will donate 660,000 doses of its MMR II measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for the program to take place in Honduras over two years, 2001-2002. The donation will be accepted by Honduran first lady Mary de Flores.
Ambassador Holbrooke will point to the Honduras program as a model for cooperation between the private sector and a foreign government to tackle a major health challenge in a developing nation.
``This is the victory for which we've been fighting,'' said Schoenfeld. ``The U.S. government and the world's major medical organizations are taking up the issue of auto-destruct syringes, which will save millions of lives, particularly in immunization programs.
``As we have been saying, the delivery of vaccines is as important as the medicine in those vaccines,'' Schoenfeld said. ``The medical community and the world's governments are absolutely correct in enacting and carrying out an auto-destruct syringe policy for all immunizations. This policy will ensure that needles are not being reused and diseases like AIDS and hepatitis are not being spread through those needles.
``Millions of people the world over die each year because they are exposed to blood borne diseases through the reuse of needles. In addition to the tragedy of lives lost unnecessarily, there is the enormous cost to treat those who contract these diseases. We can win the war against disease,'' said Schoenfeld.
UNIVEC is a leader in the manufacture and sale of auto-destruct syringes.<< |
