Message of WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti
In the last week of April every year since 2001, WHO celebrates African Vaccination Week in unison with World Immunization Week.
This year’s theme is “vaccines work for all”, celebrating the people who develop, deliver and receive vaccines as heroes, contributing to protecting everyone, everywhere. Never has this been clearer, than in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
During African Vaccination Week celebrations over the past nine years, immunization has reached more than 180 million people. This year, as most countries remain in lockdown, campaign activities have been postponed in line with physical distancing measures. When COVID-19 transmission is contained, scaling-up supplementary immunization will be a priority to ensure we reach communities in need, particularly those most at risk.
Even in times of crisis, provision of routine immunization services, as part of essential health service delivery, should continue. Now is the time also, to increase investment in vaccine research and development.
Through the African Vaccines Regulatory Forum (AVAREF), safe and effective vaccines are reaching communities faster. It took only 90 days, for Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Guinea and Zambia to license the Merck Ebola vaccine after WHO prequalification in November 2019.
African countries should engage in clinical trials that meet international standards so that the resulting products are adapted to meet regional needs. Through technology transfer, vaccine production in African countries should increase, to reduce the continent’s reliance on importing these essential products.
Every year, more than 30 million African children under the age of five fall ill and 500 000 die due to vaccine-preventable diseases. This accounts for 58% of global deaths from these diseases. Immunization coverage has struggled to keep pace with population growth and remains at 76% in the African Region, far short of the 90% target.
The results of this shortfall are clear: in the past year, six African countries have reported major outbreaks of measles.[1] In the most severe outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there were more than 360 000 cases and more than 6600 deaths. Many of those affected were children.
To strengthen immunization coverage, we need to strengthen essential health services as part of building resilient health systems. Strong primary health care systems are the most effective way to do this and to progress towards universal health coverage.
To protect communities from vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks during this unprecedented time, I urge countries to maintain routine immunization services, using innovative approaches and with strong infection prevention control practices in health facilities.
Learn more:
World Immunization Week 2020 https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2020/04/24/default-calendar/world-immunization-week-2020
COVID-19: Operational guidance for maintaining essential health services during an outbreak
[1] Central Africa Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Nigeria.