[WorldImmunisationWeek] Every shot counts

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One in five African children still lacks access to all the necessary and basic vaccinations, and Yacine Djibo, co-manager of the Africa United campaign, says the leading causes of death among children in Africa, namely pneumonia and diarrhoea, can be effectively prevented by vaccinating.

"There is no more cost-effective way for us to protect millions of our children. None need die of diarrhoea or pneumonia if we vaccinate our kids" added Mrs. Djibo.

Universal health access

Africa United, led by the Confederation of African Football, the African Union, Gavi: the Vaccine Alliance, the World Bank Group and the CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) Foundation, strives to achieve universal health access in Africa. It engages political leadership, football stars and cultural and religious leaders in a united effort to improve the health of all Africans.

The organisation has teamed up with the World Health Organisation African Regional Office (WHO AFRO), to highlight African Vaccination Week's theme through the Every Shot Counts initiative. The campaign's partners use visual materials that amplify existing education, advocacy, and healthcare delivery efforts.

Close the gap

The theme for African Vaccination Week 2016 is Close the gap. Stay polio free! and draws attention to the need for universal immunisation coverage in the African region. It is also a celebration of the important polio eradication milestone that has been reached, and calls on countries to stay vigilant in the fight against polio.

Ministerial conference

Thanks to a strong global leadership, including the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO), the first-ever ministerial conference on immunisation in Africa was held earlier this year, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

At the conference, African leaders took bold steps towards universal coverage with commitments outlined in the Declaration on Universal Access to Immunisation as a Cornerstone for Health and Development.

Commitments underscored that in order to achieve universal vaccination, a multi-pronged approach is needed to raise awareness of the life-saving value of immunisation, to advocate for universal access, and to generate increased demand for new and existing vaccines.

WHO country offices and partners across the continent celebrated AVW 2016 with various country-specific programmes including vaccination, provision of a range of life-saving health activities, health promotion, community outreach, media activities and more.

Join the global conversation about African Vaccination Week on social media by following #AVW2016, #VaccinesWork and #EveryShotCounts. Like and share the Every Shots Counts African Vaccination Week 2016 video.