U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation Receives $170,000 Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Assess Vaccine Accessibility in Russia

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation (CRDF) announced today a $170,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct an 8-month feasibility study on increasing vaccine availability in Russia.

The CRDF's study will identify high priority vaccine needs in Russia, and determine where and how improvements to vaccine utilization and delivery can be made. Infant and childhood mortality rates in the Russian Federation are more than double that of the United States, according to World Health Organization reports. International experts agree there is growing evidence that vaccine-treatable diseases, such as influenza, rubella and polio, are gaining ground in the region, particularly among women and children, Russia's most vulnerable population groups.

"We are excited about this opportunity to work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and to use cutting-edge biomedical technology to address one of the most critical public health challenges of our time," said Dr. Gerson Sher, president and executive director of CRDF. During the 8-month study, the CRDF will research and access how western advances in vaccine research and development can be brought to benefit the Russian population.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to expand children's access to vaccines throughout the world and to develop new vaccines against diseases afflicting developing countries. CRDF, which facilitates collaborations between United States and Russian scientific and technological communities, brings to the study strong Russian connections and a deep experience in working in this evolving environment.

The U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation for the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union, founded in 1995, is a private, nonprofit charitable organization created by the United States Government as an American response to the declining state of science and engineering in the former Soviet Union (FSU). The CRDF seeks to address this issue by fostering opportunities for collaborative projects between FSU and U.S. researchers.  For more information, visit the website (www.crdf.org).