Gondar. 23 April 2014 – The fourth African Vaccination Week (AVW) kicked off with the theme "Vaccination – a shared responsibility" in Gondar, Amhara Region, on 23 April 2014. The goal of AVW, which runs from the 23rd until the 29th of April, is to strengthen the immunization programme by drawing attention to the importance, the need and the right of all persons to be protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. 

H. E. Dr Mulatu Teshome, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, stated on the 22nd of April that he will take the leadership of steering Ethiopia's comprehensive routine immunization improvement plan 2014/15, which aims to reach the target of 95% coverage by 2015. H.E. Dr Amir Aman, State Minister of Health, confirmed the Government's commitment at the AVW launch and underlined that the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) will remain a high priority, with emphasis on interrupting the transmission of wild polio virus and expanding routine immunization coverage of existing vaccines. This was further reinforced by the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H. E. Hailemarian Desalegn, on the 24th April in his quarterly address to the Parliament, as he reported on EPI performance over the past nine months.


Dr Pierre M'Pele-Kilebou, WHO Representative, acknowledged the commitment and joint efforts of the Government of Ethiopia and partners - UNICEF, Clinton Health Access Initiative, PATH Ethiopia, Lions Club, Integrated Family Health Program/USAID, CCRDA/CORE Group, JSI, Rotary International, Center for Disease Control, GAVI Alliance, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - to vaccinate every child highlighting that everybody has a role to play in fighting vaccine preventable diseases.

The AVW launch event at Tewodros Square, in the centre of the historical town of Gondar, featured a number of educational activities, including poems, children's song about vaccine-preventable diseases and a vaccination session by the high-level officials present. The morning event was followed by presentations and discussion on EPI in Ethiopia at the University of Gondar. The AVW launching ceremony was attended by the Vice President of Amhara Region, Head of the Regional Health Bureau, Zonal Administrative Head, parliamentarians, as well as representatives from partner organizations.

The Fourth African Vaccination Week will be commemorated in all regions of Ethiopia, 23-29 April, through accelerated vaccination activities, advocacy events and broadcasting media messages. The theme "Vaccination – a shared responsibility" highlights the role and importance of governments, health care workers, parents, families and communities in supporting immunization. Gondar was selected as the location for the launching of AVW, because Amhara Region is the second most populous region in Ethiopia and North Gondar Zone has the highest number of un/underimmunized children in the region due to typography and population mobility challenges. The Zone has, therefore, been selected as an EPI priority zone and AVW presents a good opportunity to create awareness and accelerate immunization activities in the Zone.