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.

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.

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. 

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.

Monrovia, 22 April 2014 - The WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti has underscored the importance of involving the communities in the fight against Ebola.

Monrovia, 22 April 2014 - The WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti has underscored the importance of involving the communities in the fight against Ebola.

Brazzaville, Congo, 21 April 2014 -- African Vaccination Week 2014 will see an unprecedented effort to vaccinate millions of African children and adults of all ages against deadly and debilitating diseases.

In 2013, Nasarawa and Niger States in the North Central region of Nigeria commonly referred to as the ‘Middle Belt’, given their geographical location on the map, had importation of the wild polio virus (WPV) each from endemic states after several months of stopping transmission. Since then, political commitment in the area has been rekindled with relentless personal commitment of State governors to protect states in the axis from re-infection through high-profile activities to create visibility for the Polio Eradication Initiative.

On 17 of April 2013, the Swaziland’s African Vaccination Week (AVW) team organized a workshop for media at the Happy Valley Hotel and Casino, Swaziland.

The main objective of the workshop was not only just to sensitize the journalist and media practitioners on the 2013 package of activities but also to enlist their unqualified support through publicity and advocacy reporting of AVW planned activities.

Brazzaville,  April  2014 -- If any doubts ever existed about the wisdom or benefits of instituting the African Vaccination Week (AVW), the celebration of the 3rd AVW in the Region in 2013 very eloquently cleared the air.

Statistics at the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) on the observance of the 3rd AVW tell the story.

During AVW 2013, more than 44 million doses of vaccines of all antigens were administered to several million infants, children, adolescents and adults in 43 countries in the Region.