Boris Lushniak Interview: Technical Roundtable on Immunization and Polio Eradication in Ukraine

This is an interview of Retired Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak, Professor and Chair, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine in Bethesda, MD, United States (US). Dr. Lushniak served as the acting Surgeon General of the United States from July 2013 to December 2014. From 2010 to July 2013, he served as the Deputy Surgeon General. For 16 years, Dr. Lushniak served with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), working on assignments in Russia, Kosovo, and Bangladesh.

Dr. Lushniak chaired the Technical Roundtable on Immunization and Polio Eradication in Ukraine, June 8 2016, Washington, DC, United States (US). Conducted by the Washington-based US-Ukraine Foundation with technical and logistical support from The Communication Initiative, the purpose of the meeting was to provide a forum for Ukrainian diaspora experts/professionals to discuss the immunisation challenges facing Ukraine and to amplify their voices and ideas for positive change. A small number of outside technical experts also provided global context and lessons learned from other regions. The principal outcome of the roundtable was a concise statement outlining the issues clearly and offering strategic recommendations for improving the health situation in Ukraine, with a particular emphasis on immunisation, vaccination, and polio. Click here for a summary of, and access to, the statement.

In this follow up to the roundtable, Dr. Lushniak reflects on the current state of vaccination/immunisation in Ukraine from a public health perspective. He reminds us that the diseases in question, like polio, are vaccine preventable; they should not be happening anywhere. When asked where to start in terms of the roundtable's recommendations, Dr. Lushniak points to the entire package, which involves, first, a steady and trustworthy supply chain - vaccines coming in from trusted sources, properly stored, and so on - with a regular supply. Ultimately, when supply and procurement issues are in place, the vaccines must get to the end user and thus be distributed to areas where they will be utilised. In the end, the matter comes down to the health care provider dealing with an individual patient, so, ultimately, nothing happens unless the provider is all in. Health care providers and parents must understand the public health ramifications of undervaccination. Looking at a broader level, Dr. Lushinak concedes that corruption in the system must be dealt with quickly and firmly and that public health leadership needs to step up in that regard. The public health mission needs to be put into the hands and under authority of public health leaders. The roundtable was critical, but most of the people in the room were diaspora and technical experts. Ultimately, it will be the Ministry of Health (MoH) who needs to take a close look at the recommendations and apply the ones they think need to be implemented.

• Click here to access a shorter (2'49") version of this interview in Ukrainian.
• Click here for an overview of the Washington DC Roundtable Discussion on Immunisation for Vaccine-Preventable Disease and Polio in Ukraine.
• Click here for a summary of and access to the Statement on the Roundtable on Immunization for Vaccine-Preventable Disease and Polio in Ukraine.
• Click here for an interview of David Salisbury from the same event.
• Click here for an interview of Patrick M. O'Connor from the same event.
• Click here for an interview of Judyth Twigg from the same event.
• Click here to access a video of an October 9 2015 press briefing on the Ukraine outbreak by Ellyn Ogden, Coordinator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for polio eradication.