“Reaching Every Child with Immunization”

Ouagadougou, 6 December 2010 -- The Second Annual Regional Conference on Immunization in Africa opened today in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, with a call for intensification of priority interventions and investments to speed up progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals related to maternal and child health.

Countries, with the support of WHO and partners, should strive to meet this challenge in order to avoid needless deaths from measles, polio and meningitis, to mention only a few. The Conference made this call through the theme “Reaching Every Child with Immunization”.

Nearly 200 participants are taking part in the Conference. They include experts from the countries of the WHO African Region, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), Rotary and UNICEF. The Chairman of the Sixtieth Session of the WHO Regional Committee, Pascal Obame Asue, Minister of Health of Equatorial Guinea is also among the Conference participants.

The five major addresses delivered at the opening included those of the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, the WHO Director-General, the WHO Regional Director for Africa and the Chairman of the Conference. The speakers unanimously commended the progress in the control of vaccine-preventable diseases and urged countries to redouble their efforts.

In his address, the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, Mr Tertius Zongo, expressed optimism about the capacity of African countries to conquer these diseases. He recounted the milestones achieved over the years especially the victory over smallpox, the successful implementation of the Expanded Programme on Immunization and the development of new vaccines.

Tertius Zongo invited countries to work out better vaccine procurement procedures, promote vaccine conservation and give special attention to the side effects of vaccines.

For his part, the Chairman of the Conference, Sodiomon Sirima, emphasized the duties and obligations of each and everyone. “We should make all children benefit from the existing preventive facilities”, he said. He warmly congratulated his predecessor, Prof. Peter Ndumbe, on the progress made under his Chairmanship.

Addressing the gathering, the WHO Regional Director, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, hailed the launch of MenAfriVa, the new vaccine against meningococcal meningitis A and underscored the personal commitment of the President of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore, as sponsor of the initiative to eliminate meningitis epidemics in Africa.

He called on countries and partners to make concerted efforts to mobilize additional financial resources in order to guarantee access to this vaccine to rid Africa of the terrible suffering of the past.

Dr Sambo informed participants of the progress made in routine immunization with a 79% DPT3 immunization coverage and a spectacular reduction of about 97% of poliomyelitis cases in Nigeria.

“The challenge Nigeria now faces is to maintain this achievement” said the WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan who proudly outlined the health benefits of immunization as the best life-saving weapon available. Three-to-five million lives are saved each year through immunization, she added.

The Director-General paid tribute to Africa for the Conference theme which, in her opinion, reflects Africa’s vision and commitment in regard to health.

Other partners especially GAVI and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation added their voices to those of the other speakers in commending the partnership without which no achievement was possible. Bill and Melinda Gates pledged US$ 10 million for the Vaccines Decade.

GAVI was represented at the Conference by its current acting Director-General, Helen Evans, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation by Dr Tachi Yamada, President of the Global Health Programme.

For further information please contact:

Rodrigue Barry, Communications Officer, WHO Intercountry Support Team for West Africa, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso - Tel: + 226 70214312

Flavienne Issembè, Information Officer, Communication and Media Unit, WHO Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo - Tel: + 226 76066031

Collins Boakye-Agyeman, Communication and Advocacy Officer, Regional Director’s Office, WHO Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo - Tel: + 242 053736713