On 31 January 2017, at the 28th African Union (AU) Summit, Heads of State from across Africa endorsed the Addis Declaration on Immunization (ADI), a historic and timely pledge to ensure that everyone in Africa – regardless of who they are or where they live – receives the full benefits of immunization. The ADI reaffirmed Africa’s commitment, at the highest level, to achieving ambitious immunization goals. It includes 10 commitments to increase political, financial and technical investments in immunization programmes that can accelerate progress toward universal access to immunization in Africa. The ADI was initially drafted and signed by ministers and other high-level representatives at the Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa (MCIA) in February 2016 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Statements of support were issued by civil society organizations, religious leaders from across faiths, and parliamentarians to support countries in the implementation of the ADI.
At the first WHO Africa Health Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, in June 2017, the WHO Offices in the African Region and Eastern Mediterranean Region, the African Union Commission, and immunization partners launched a roadmap to guide the implementation of the ADI. The roadmap provides Member States with three specific strategies that can be incorporated into existing efforts to improve immunization, namely: (i) generate and sustain political commitment and funding for immunization through advocacy and communications; (ii) address gaps in immunization and work with key partners to overcome barriers to access and utilization of immunization services; and (iii) monitor progress to drive impact and ensure accountability.