Lusaka, 23 April, 2015 - The 5th regional launch of African Vaccination Week (AVW) 2015 took place in Lusaka, Zambia on Thursday, 23 April 2015 with the First Lady of Zambia, Mrs Esther Lungu kicking off the commemorations. She encouraged countries in Africa and immunization partners to make all efforts to reach the unreached children with vaccinations to avoid disease outbreaks and child mortality.

“No child in the African region should die because we have denied them lifesaving vaccines,” said Mrs Lungu as she pledged her support to continue reducing mortality due to childhood illnesses in her country.

This year’s AVW theme of “Vaccination – A Gift for Life” has been welcomed by member states, as a significant number of them have been experiencing stagnation in routine immunization, making it crucial for them to develop measures and effective strategies to reach the unreached children with immunization services.

In a message at the same occasion, read by Dr Jacob Mufunda, WHO Representative to Zambia on behalf of the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, called on countries and partners to redouble efforts in resource mobilization and allocation to sustain and improve on the concerted efforts already made in reducing vaccine preventable diseases in the region. 

“As we commemorate African Vaccination Week, I call upon governments in the African region to strengthen multisectoral collaboration and to mobilize and allocate the needed financial resources to strengthen immunization activities in order to attain and sustain high immunization coverage,” Dr Moeti said.

In the African Regional Office’s drive to provide universal access to immunization and other life-saving interventions for children, the regional director called on countries to translate the recently endorsed Regional Immunization Strategic Plan 2014-2020 into national priorities and actions.

“The success of the African Vaccination Week will depend on the ability of countries to include AVW into their strategic and annual plans,” she said.

On the issue of children who were not vaccinated due to their parents and guardians’ vaccine hesitancy, Dr Moeti urged countries to develop strategies towards addressing that growing problem as immunization is the right of child. In addition she called on states to improve health systems by allocating “substantial and sustained additional investments”.

Speaking at the same occasion UNICEF Resident Representative to Zambia, Mr Hamid Al Bashir called on countries to ensure that no children would be missed with lifesaving vaccines. He reiterated that there are still about 20% of children unvaccinated in the region and thus there is a need to identify the missed children and make collaborated efforts to reach them.

“There is need for a rigorous multisectoral approach towards reaching the unreached children with immunization in our midst, we must involve traditional and religious leaders, partner organisations and the private sector,” said Mr Al Bashir.

Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health, Prof Elwyn Chomba called on partners to support African countries to mobilise resources for the re-establishment of outreach services and more involvement of the women’s organisations in child health activities to address the issue of unimmunized children.

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For more information contact:

Ms Zora Machekanyanga; Tel: +47 241 38104; Email: machekanyangaz [at] who.int (machekanyangaz[at]who[dot]int)

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1. Zambia’s First Lady, Mrs Esther Lungu addresses gathering at the AVW Regional launch
2. AVW commemorations march in Lusaka
3. First Lady, Mrs Esther Lungu flags off the AVW march in Lusaka
4. First Lady of Zambia, Mrs Esther Lungu leads the AVW commemorations march in Lusaka
5. WR for Zambia Dr Mufunda discusses a point with Zambia’s First Lady Mrs Lungu at the AVW regional launch
6. WR for Zambia Dr Mufunda addressed the gathering at  the Regional AVW launch on behalf of the RD for AFRO, Dr Moeti
7. Some of the entertainment by Zambian dancers at the regional AVW launch
8. Zambia’s First Lady, Mrs Esther Lungu administers oral polio vaccine to a baby at the AVW regional launch in Lusaka