Kinshasa, 28 April 2011 -- The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Mr. Adolphe Muzito, today in Kinshasa launched, the first African Vaccination Week and Polio National Immunization Days in DRC. Urging everyone to get immunized, he said, “Vaccination provides protection. The vaccines are available. We should go for vaccination without hesitation”.

Mr Muzito urged the population to respond massively to the call by Immunization Officers and to vaccinate all children aged below five years. He expressed the wish that the African Vaccination Week would help mobilize more resources for vaccination of children.

Several hundreds of distinguished guests, representing the Government of DRC, the Diplomatic Corps, MONUSCO, WHO, UNICEF, USAID, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Rotary International, among others, attended the ceremony that took place at the Place du Cinquantenaire de l’Indépendance, opposite the national parliament building.

The theme of the African Vaccination Week is: Put mothers and children first; vaccinate and stop polio now. The choice of this theme was prompted by the need to accelerate effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals related to reducing child mortality and maternal mortality, respectively as well as stop the circulation of wild poliovirus throughout the African Region by the end of 2011.

Dr Tigest Ketsela, representing the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, strongly appealed to all countries involved in the First African Vaccination Week and the poliomyelitis campaigns to implement effective cross-border activities with the full involvement of local authorities.

“Our Region has never come so close to eradicating polio as it has now. However, concerted effort will be needed if DRC is to stop wild poliovirus transmission by the end of June 2011”, added the representative of the WHO Regional Director.

According to Dr Ketsela, this effort would involve the continuation of periodic immunization campaigns and the strengthening of routine immunization activities which are the bedrock of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases control and the bet for protecting the investment made in the polio eradication initiative and the sustainable of interruption wild poliovirus transmission.

For his part, the special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Roger Meece said, “immunization efforts should be strengthened and we should all play our role. The United Nations stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Government of DRC in its effort to reach under-five children living in cities and the countryside”.

The special representative of United Nations Secretary-General expressed conviction that the National Immunization Days coupled with communication and social mobilization efforts can rollback polio in DRC.

“Polio eradication is an emergency and a shared responsibility requiring political support from the Government, all partners and all the Congolese people”, said Ambassador John Lange, officer responsible for policy and advocacy for developing countries, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He assured DRC of the Foundation’s support for the country’s efforts and invited all immunization officers and the populations to participate in immunization activities.

The African Vaccination Week is a regional initiative piloted and coordinated by the WHO Regional Office for Africa with the support of partners, and implemented by countries. It is intended to strengthen national immunization programmes through advocacy and partnerships.

For further information:

Technical Contacts

Dr Léodégal Bazira, WHO Representative, RDC – baziral [at] cd.afro.who.int
Dr Richard Mihigo, Coordinator, Routine immunization and new vaccines, WHO/AFRO
tel: + 242 057446908 - email: ketselat [at] afro.who.int
Dr Tigest Ketsela, Director, Family and Reproductive Health, WHO/AFRO
tel: + 241 39309 - email: ketselat [at] afro.who.int
Media Contacts

Mr Eugène Kabambi, Communication Officer, WHO/RDC
tel: +243 817151697 - email:  kabambie [at] cd.afo.who.int
Ms Flavienne Issembè, Communication and Media Unit, WHO/AFRO
tel: + 242 066531406 - email: issembef [at] afro.who.int