BAHIR DAR, 25 April 2014. The past decade has seen unprecedented progress in malaria control. Cases and deaths have declined dramatically worldwide, but most especially in sub-Saharan Africa. World Malaria Day, 25 April 2014, highlighted the progress to date and joint efforts to defeat malaria under the theme "Invest in the Future, Defeat Malaria". In Ethiopia, the main commemoration was held in Bahir Dar, Amhara Region, which is a malaria endemic area where great progress has been achieved to control malaria. 

On 25 April 2014, South Sudan joined millions of people around the world to observe World Malaria day under the global theme, ’Invest in the future: Defeat Malaria,’ and locally under the theme, ‘Together we can defeat Malaria’. 

This year, the United Republic of Tanzania commemorated the World Malaria Day 2014 by hosting the Tanzania Malaria Control Forum and a press conference officiated by the Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Seif Rashid.

The WHO Representative to Ghana, Dr Magda Robalo, has commended Ghana for the continuous efforts to keep immunization coverage quite high and the burden of vaccine preventable diseases very low. She said Ghana stands tall for the country’s efforts to date, and the leadership in the introduction of vaccines against the major childhood killer diseases in the sub-region.

Brazzaville, 24 April 2014 –- The regional launch of the 4th African Vaccination Week (AVW) took place on Thursday in Brazzaville, although celebration of the week began in countries across the continent on Tuesday 22 April, and extends through Sunday, 27 April.

Juba, South Sudan, 23 April 2014 -- More than 2.4 million children will be vaccinated in a nation-wide measles, polio and Vitamin A campaign, launched today by the Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. The integrated Immunization Campaign for Measles, Polio and Vitamin A supplementation in South Sudan aims to reduce the incidence of measles to less than five cases per million and to boost the population’s immunity against Polio. South Sudan has been polio free since June 2009 – almost five years.

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. 

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South Sudan commenced implementation of integrated Measles, Polio vaccination and vitamin-A supplementation campaign on 23 April 2014 targeting 2.4 million children below five years. The campaign will be implemented in seven of the country’s ten states to administer measles vaccines and vitamin A capsule to children aged 6-59 months and Oral Polio vaccine to children aged 0-59 months. 

The African Vaccination Week kicked off in Ethiopia on the 23rd of April 2014 with a colourful event in Gondar, Amhara Region. Click on the images below for a full view of images from the event.

Above:

01: African Vaccination Week 2014 kicked off with a colourful launch ceremony in Gondar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

Kulle Refugee Camp in Gambella Region, western Ethiopia, currently hosts about 35,000 of the 97,000 refugees from South Sudan taking shelter in three camps in the region. Almost 66 per cent of the refugees in Kulle are women and children. The WHO assessment team led by the WHO Representative comprising technical experts in emergency and outbreak response, malaria, water and sanitation, immunization, and communication, witnessed the concerning health conditions at the camp on 22 April 2014 whilst assessing the situation to urgently intensify WHO technical support.