- Your Excellency the Prime Minister of the Republic of Mozambique,
- Hon Minister of Health,
- Senior government officials,
- Members of Diplomatic corps in Mozambique,
- Representatives of international agencies and partners
- Representatives of civil society
- Chairman and members of Task Force on Immunization in Africa
- Chairman of African Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Committee (ARICC)
- Participants
- Invited Guests
- Ladies and Gentlemen.
Let me start by expressing our gratitude to the government and people of Mozambique for hosting the 14th Session of the Task Force on Immunization in Africa and the 13th Session of African Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Committee meeting. We are very grateful for the excellent arrangements that have been put in place.
I would also like to express our appreciation to all those who responded positively to our invitation to participate.
Countries of the African Region have continued to register steady progress in controlling morbidity and mortality due to vaccine preventable diseases.
The increase in routine immunization coverage rates at regional level as well as in most countries has resulted in a decline in incidence rates of vaccine preventable diseases. At the time we met in Brazzaville for the 13th Session of the TFI, the regional DPT3 coverage was estimated at 70%. Now it is estimated to be around 75%. In addition to increasing coverage with traditional vaccines, more countries in the region are achieving increasing coverage with new and under-utilized vaccines such as Hemophilus influenza B, Hepatitis B and Yellow Fever.
Though wild poliovirus transmission persists in the remaining endemic reservoir in Northern Nigeria, there is emerging epidemiological evidence that the intensity of transmission has been declining in the last 5-6 months following improved quality of vaccination activities. However, wild poliovirus transmission continues to pose a challenge in countries that suffered importations in 2004-2005, including countries in the Horn of Africa as well as in the Central African sub-region. The recent importation of wild poliovirus to Kenya and Cameroon demonstrates the continued risk faced by polio-free countries in the Region and beyond if the remaining foci of wild poliovirus transmission are not interrupted very rapidly.
As we meet here today, there is a conference of Ministers of Health of the Horn of Africa region taking place in Djibouti, and Polio in high on the agenda of that conference.
The African region continues to make significant strides in measles mortality reduction. The estimated reduction in measles mortality in the African region for all ages between 1999 and 2005 was 75%. In October 2006, Nigeria implemented the largest integrated measles vaccination campaign in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 26 million children received measles vaccination, 14.5 million received Oral Polio Vaccine, 12.8 million received Vitamin A supplementation and close to 80,000 Insecticide Treated Bed nets (ITNs) were distributed.
Ladies and Gentlemen
The 56th Session of the WHO Regional Committee which met in Addis Ababa in August 2006 endorsed the Regional EPI Strategy 2006-2009. The Regional Office will continue to work closely with member states in the implementation of the Regional Committee Resolution and to support and to support priority interventions as elaborated in the strategy.
Efforts to ensure high quality immunization services in countries will be pursued in a manner that will contribute to overall child survival and development, as stated in the WHO, UNICEF and World Bank Regional Child Survival Strategy, which was also endorsed by the 56th Session of the Regional Committee.
The work of WHO in the African region has been greatly facilitated by strong collaboration with our partners many of who are present here today, as well as with Regional Economic Communities (RECs). These partnerships with UNICEF, World Bank, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, GAVI, USAID, European Union, Rotary international, the African Union and many others have greatly contributed to the realization of high rates of immunization coverage and a substantial reduction in morbidity and mortality due to vaccine preventable diseases.
I also wish to recognize the strong collaboration between our regional office and the Eastern Mediterranean region of WHO (EMRO). This collaboration has resulted in exchange of experts, sharing of best practices and experiences, and has contributed to the progress in improving routine immunization coverage as well as polio eradication efforts in countries of the 2 regions.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Despite the overall progress we have registered in strengthening immunization services in countries of the African region, there are still enormous challenges that we must address. These include:
- Gaps in immunization coverage
- Immunization financing
- Vaccine supply and distribution
- Access to new vaccines, and
- Sector-wide barriers to immunization services.
I am sure that in the course of the deliberations over the next few days, it will be possible to identify effective and innovative solutions that will further improve access to quality and sustainable immunization services in a manner that will contribute to overall strengthening of national health systems in countries of the African region.
I would like at this juncture, to recognize the continued technical leadership and guidance provided by the Chairman and distinguished members of the Task Force on Immunization Africa (TFI). I would also like to appreciate the important role of the ARICC chairman and members whose efforts in advocacy, resource mobilization and strengthening of partnerships continue to contribute enormously to our goal of prevention and control vaccine preventable diseases in the African Region.
I wish you all successful deliberations and look forward to receiving your recommendations.
I thank you.