/F I N A L C O R R E C T I O N -- World Health Organization/

/F I N A L C O R R E C T I O N -- World Health Organization/

July 24, 2006

    In the media advisory, "Chinese Government, GAVI
Alliance to Announce Dramatic Progress in Hepatitis B
Immunisation in China," issued on July 17, by the
World Health Organization over Xinhua PR Newswire, we are
advised by them that the event time should run from "3
p.m. to 4:30 p.m." and not "2:30 p.m. to 4
p.m.", or "3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.", as
previously stated.  As a result, the embargo time has also
changed.  Complete, corrected advisory follows:


MEDIA ADVISORY: Chinese Government, GAVI Alliance to
Announce Dramatic Progress in Hepatitis B Immunisation in
China
Beijing Press Briefing to Focus on Crucial Programme to
Deliver Millions of Doses of Hepatitis B Vaccine to Avert
Thousands of Deaths


-- The Information in this Document is Embargoed for
Release Tuesday 25 July, at 3 p.m., UTC + 8 Hours, or 07:00
GMT  (Time of the Announcement) --


    IMPORTANT: Journalists are kindly requested to let the
organisers know at the very latest by Friday, 21 July
whether they plan to attend the 25 July event.  This is in
order to facilitate entry into the Ministry of Health
building for the briefing.  Those who do not RSVP by the
deadline may be denied access.  Thank you for your kind
understanding.

    RSVP: Roy Wadia or Justin Ross, WHO China (
[e-mail] ), or Charles Rycroft, UNICEF China
( [e-mail] ).  

    Officials from the Chinese government and the GAVI
Alliance will gather in Beijing on Tuesday, 25 July at 3
p.m. at the Ministry of Health of China to discuss the
country's aggressive efforts to immunise millions of
children in remote and impoverished regions against
hepatitis B, a chronic disease whose complications are
responsible for thousands of deaths every year. 
Consecutive translation will be provided.

     WHEN:    Tuesday, 25 July, 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
     WHERE:   China's Ministry of Health, Beijing, Room
108
     WHO:     Gao Qiang, Minister of Health 
              Julian Lob-Levyt, Executive Secretary of the
GAVI Alliance 
               (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines
and Immunization)

    In China, there are an estimated 120 million people
infected with hepatitis B (HepB).  Immunising infants and
young children is the best way to prevent the disease,
which routinely leads to life threatening liver problems
later in life, decimating future generations.  Working with
GAVI, UNICEF and the World Health Organization over the last
three years, China has immunised millions of children
against HepB and, in the process, prevented thousands of
premature deaths.

    At the 25 July briefing, speakers will describe the
challenges and successes flowing from a five-year $76
million project to provide HepB immunisations to newborns
and children under five across China's western and central
provinces, an area that encompasses 470 million people. 
The programme reaches babies born in hospitals, as well as
those born at home in mountain villages or in the tents of
nomadic herders on the vast steppes. 

    Organisational Web sites: 

     The GAVI Alliance: http://www.gavialliance.org

     WHO: http://www.who.int and
http://www.wpro.who.int/china

     UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org and
http://www.unicef.org/china

     Ministry of Health of China: http://www.moh.gov.cn

    For more information, please contact:  

     Charles Rycroft, UNICEF China
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

     Roy Wadia, WHO China
     Tel:   [phone] x681
     Email: [e-mail]

     Justin Ross, WHO China
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]  

     Jean-Pierre LeCalvez, GAVI Alliance,     
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

SOURCE  World Health Organization