Message of the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti
Every last week of April, we commemorate Africa Vaccination Week and World Vaccination Week to increase awareness of the importance of every person’s need and right to be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. We keep vaccination high on national and regional agendas for healthy communities. This year, 2024, the week embraces another milestone: the 50th anniversary of immunization.
For half a century, immunization has been at the forefront of our regional health efforts, saving millions of lives and transforming the landscape of public health towards “Safeguarding Our Future.”
With the launch of the Expanded Programme on Immunization, in 1974 by WHO, the programme grew and widened, moving from the initially targeted six diseases (diphtheria, measles, polio, tetanus, tuberculosis, and whooping cough) to 14 vaccine-preventable diseases.
By the mid-eighties, all countries in our region had established national immunization programmes. We played a unique and pivotal role in supporting our Member States and coordinating immunization partners.
Reflecting on this journey, we cannot help but marvel at the results, including eradicating smallpox in 1979 and wild poliovirus in 2020, as well as the ongoing efforts to control measles outbreaks on our continent.
Between 2000 and 2022, we reduced annual measles deaths by 76%, with an estimated 19.5 million averted over the 22 years we’ve embarked on measles control efforts.
Additionally, the region has seen a dramatic decline in deaths caused by meningitis by up to 39% from 2000 to 2019. This is a significant achievement in public health owing, in part, to the introduction and rollout of the meningitis A vaccine in 2010. No cases of meningitis caused by the type A strain has been found since 2017.
Progress towards eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus in our region has also been commendable. As of March 2024, 43 out of 47 high-burden African countries had been validated for elimination, representing 91% of our Member States in the African Region.
Over the years, we have witnessed a steady increase in immunization coverage rates, which have been possible thanks to strong collaboration with Member States, international organizations, health workers and communities. At WHO, we have worked collaboratively with partners to launch special initiatives to strengthen immunization efforts.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative launched in 1988, Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance in 2000, the Measles and Rubella Initiative in 2001, the Global Vaccine Action Plan in 2012, and the Immunization Agenda 2030 in 2020 which set out a new agenda for immunization efforts from 2021 to 2030 are among the initiatives that have been instrumental in driving immunization progress.
It’s been a journey marked by determination, collaboration, and innovation.
It has also had its share of challenges, including insufficient healthcare infrastructure, shortage of skilled healthcare workers, limited resources for vaccine procurement, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, some of our Member States continue to face conflict, instability, humanitarian crises, and other concurrent emergencies due to the impacts of climate change that exacerbate the vulnerabilities of weak health systems.
Despite these challenges, African countries have prioritized health by investing in immunization and the broader primary health care systems and fostering partnerships and collaboration, making significant strides towards health for all.
Our collective response to outbreaks and emergencies, such as Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic, requires adaptability, determination, resilience, and innovation in immunization delivery.
The fight against polio is a great example. Through concerted efforts, cases are steadily declining, and health leaders across the region, as patrons of immunization, have paved the way to protect every last child against this virus.
We must continue to support and encourage countries to improve vaccination coverage further and halt the transmission of variant poliovirus types 1 and 2. By the end of 2023, the region reduced the number of circulating variants of poliovirus cases from 438 to 304 (31% decrease) within one year.
We can strive to stop polio transmission in the coming year with collective determination and collaboration.
Based on lessons, efforts to address gaps in immunization coverage have been intensified through “The Big Catch-up” campaigns, aiming to reach the children who missed vaccinations.
In a historic move, the rollout of the malaria vaccine in our region is a significant development in the fight against this deadly disease; it has led to the launch of a regional initiative: Accelerating Malaria Vaccine Introduction and Rollout in Africa (AMVIRA). The introduction of the malaria vaccine in all countries will become a game changer; it has the potential to significantly alter the malarial disease landscape with new tools to complement existing preventive and control measures.
Leveraging innovative delivery strategies for vaccination services, we embarked on research and development (R&D) initiatives for new vaccines to improve Africa’s healthcare infrastructure and scientific capacity.
Efforts to strengthen vaccine research capacity in Africa are underway, and our Member States are increasing investments to advance vaccine development in Africa. Through our African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (AVAREF) platform, we continue to engage AVAREF Members in the region while providing oversight, technical expertise, and collaboration opportunities for developing and evaluating vaccines on the continent.
As we commemorate this year’s African Vaccination and World Immunization Week, I remind our Member States of the ten commitments made in the Addis Ababa Declaration on Immunization, endorsed by our Heads of State in 2017. It represents a shared commitment by African governments to strengthen immunization programs and accelerate progress toward achieving universal access to vaccines.
I express my deepest gratitude to all our Member States for their unwavering commitment to advancing the health and well-being of our people.
I also thank our dedicated health workers and communities for their daily efforts to reach and deliver vaccination services to all eligible populations. Without them, all this work would not be possible.
As we move towards 2030, much remains to be accomplished to reach the regional and global goals aligned with the IA2030 objectives.
Let us continue working together across sectors and borders and forge a path towards a healthier continent where all children and adults are assured of receiving life-saving vaccines.
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