Remarks by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti,
74th session of the World Health Assembly
Agenda item 13.8. Immunization Agenda 2030: A Global Strategy to Leave No One Behind
Honourable Ministers, delegates, partners and colleagues,
Routine immunization has contributed to halving the death rate among children under-five in sub-Saharan Africa in the past 20 years, and it’s been pivotal in kicking wild poliovirus out of Africa. Yet every year it is estimated that nine million African children miss out on this cost-effective, high-impact intervention.
At the regional level routine immunization coverage has stalled at between 70 and 75% in the past 10 years, well below the 90% target. So, operationalizing the Immunization Agenda 2030 is a top priority in the African Region.
Through a rigorous consultation process, we’ve developed a regional framework to take forward the global agenda. It is anchored in the global vision and aims to improve immunization coverage using a primary health care approach.
In the Addis Declaration on Immunization in 2017, African Heads of State committed to achieving universal access. Now, increased domestic investment is needed, with support from partners, to realize this goal.
This week we’ve discussed the importance of vaccine equity and the need for countries with supplies to quickly and significantly share their doses to make a difference in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In parallel to the intense demands of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, supplementary immunization campaigns for other priority diseases, like measles, yellow fever and polio, are equally important to sustain the progress made and to control outbreaks.
Specific attention is needed to reach children in poorer families, and underserved communities, and those living in fragile, conflict-affected areas. Again, equity is a key principle driving our work.
We also need to re-double efforts to address the growing vaccine hesitancy in the Region, and globally, and to engage and motivate caregivers to bring their infants and children to get vaccinated.
Finally, scaling-up vaccine manufacturing in African countries is an important medium-term strategy to build more resilient supply chains and improve access to these global public health goods. We are glad to note that at the political level, at the level of Ministers of Health, our leadership is very determined in embarking on this.
In the Region, we are supporting countries on all these fronts, and encourage additional investments to drive down vaccine-preventable diseases and save lives.
I thank you very much for giving me this opportunity.