Protect children from deadly Japanese encephalitis

Wa Meng's story

You’ve already read that PATH’s powerful work is protecting millions of children from devastating Japanese encephalitis (JE). As a donor, you’re part of a remarkable group of individuals, communities, and public- and private-sector partners working together to make this possible.

Today, we want to share just one example of what we can achieve—and why it matters so much.

It begins with this photo.

Sometimes, there is no other word than heartbreak. That’s part of the story Wa Meng, a father in Laos, tells visitors. Those are his hands in the image—holding a picture he keeps safely tucked away in his home. It’s a picture of his eldest son, just a teenager, who died of JE several years ago.

But there’s hope in the story too: Last year, PATH helped to bring a JE vaccination campaign to Wa Meng’s village. He made sure every member of his family was in line, and talked with neighbors and friends to give them the information to make sure their children were immunized, too. For Wa Meng’s living children, and hundreds of people in his village, the vaccine unlocked a new future—a future without the fear of JE.  

A powerful ally for health

Vaccines are one of the world’s most powerful allies for health. Day in and day out, they help your immune system shield you from disease. It’s easy to take them for granted—unless there isn’t one available for the diseases that threaten your family. That’s what Wa Meng faced before PATH stepped in. And it’s what too many other families still face.

Your help, combined with the work of PATH and its partners worldwide, will help us reach more of these families, more quickly. In fact, just this month Laos launched a nationwide JE campaign with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. After completing national catch-up campaigns, the government of Laos is expected to fund and incorporate JE vaccination into its childhood routine immunization schedule, ensuring countrywide JE coverage for the first time in history.

Stay in touch

Now, we hope you'll stay with us as we continue this work. In these short reports, we’ll keep you updated on our progress.

It’s a bold effort that includes many activities—and you’ll hear about them all. We’ll celebrate new immunization campaigns. Training for health care workers. Advocacy to help countries adopt, purchase, and provide the vaccines. Work to develop and maintain safety and monitoring databases. Research to help align the vaccine with other childhood vaccines. And much more.

We look forward to sharing this groundbreaking and lifesaving effort with you.

Thank you!

Photo: Wa Meng holds a photograph of his first son, who died of Japanese encephalitis at age 13. Photo: PATH/Aaron Joel Santos.

Links:

• PATH's work to stop Japanese encephalitis
• Learn more about PATH's work worldwide