Countries in the African Region will commemorate the 5th African Vaccination Week (AVW) from 24 to 30 April. It is a week-long event designed to strengthen public awareness and demand for immunization by communities, improve access for high-risk populations and hard-to-reach areas in the Region and advocate for mobilization of resources for immunization. It also provides an opportunity to increase demand and utilization for other lifesaving interventions particularly those targeting women and children under five.
This year’s theme “Vaccination, a gift for life” underlines the fact that vaccination is a gift that protects people of all ages against diseases. Vaccines are one of the greatest advances in human history. They save millions of lives each year and are among the most cost-effective health interventions ever developed.
It is estimated that about three million children under five years of age die each year in the African Region and a significant number of these deaths could be prevented by vaccines. Receiving routine immunizations is essential to attain the highest standard of health, particularly for women and children to become healthy, productive adults.
Although countries in the Region have made commendable progress in reducing vaccine-preventable diseases, more needs to be done. The recently endorsed Regional Immunization Strategic Plan 2014–2020 should be translated into national priorities and actions as it aims to provide universal access to immunization and other life-saving interventions for everyone by 2020, particularly to vulnerable populations.
The success of AVW will depend on the ability of countries to include AVW into their strategic and annual national immunization plans and to allocate resources for implementation of activities. Achieving this noble goal will also require the need to address barriers to vaccination, and make substantial and sustained additional investments to strengthen health systems.
As we commemorate African Vaccination Week, I call upon governments in the African Region to strengthen multisectoral collaboration and to mobilize and allocate the needed financial resources to strengthen immunization activities in order to achieve universal immunization coverage.
The WHO Regional Office for Africa will continue to work with governments and stakeholders to strengthen health systems in order to attain universal health coverage and protect everyone’s fundamental human right to health.
Thank you.