OceanVacciTour (OVT) launches AIDOCEAN’s project on World Oceans Day. Supported by the French Development Agency and the Planète Bleue Foundation.
AIDOCEAN is a humanitarian vaccination program in the isolated regions of the Pacific. The main goal is to prevent the resurgence of epidemics such as measles, rubella, etc.
« In 2019, measles killed 207,500 people worldwide. With the concentration on COVID19 in recent years, WHO estimates that this figure could reach or even exceed one million in 2022, » says the OVT’s chairwoman and nurse Marine Bayer.
« “Reported cases of measles have exploded by nearly 80% worldwide in the first two months of 2022, WHO and UNICEF announced last Wednesday.(sources https://bit.ly/3Q6H9S2) ”.
The first humanitarian mission will be in Papua New Guinea on the island of New Ireland in September and October of this year.
The 8 person team will offer basic medical care and vaccines to isolated tribes to help prevent a possible outbreak of the diseases. « At the end of the day, it is about saving lives » said Marine, a former helicopter pilot in the Navy.
The Vaka Motu (offshore canoe) AIDOCEAN will be skippered by Sébastien Destremau for her maiden voyage to PNG. « “I tested a Vaka Motu, a traditional boat from the Pacific Islands last week in the Med and she is the ideal boat for the project!” » said the former Vendee Globe Skipper who retired from ocean racing early this year.
Progress can be followed on www.aidocean.org as well as on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube at the name of @aidoceanorg.