Efforts to Reach More Children with Effective Vaccines Through Routine Immunization in The WHO African Region: 2013-2015.

Background: Some progress has been made in expanding immunization in the African Region over the last four decades. However, an estimated 22% of the eligible children in the African Region, located in four countries of the African Region (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa), continue to miss vaccination services for various reasons. This paper documents the status of routine immunization in the African Region.

Towards a Strategy for Reducing Missed Opportunities for Vaccination in Malawi: Implications of a Qualitative Health Facility Assessment.

Background: Missed opportunities for vaccination (MOVs), estimated to be about 32-47% of child healthcare clinic visits in various settings globally, contribute to unfulfilled childhood vaccination coverage targets in the African region.

Objective: We assessed the extent of MOVs, identify local drivers and test interventions to reduce MOVs in Malawi.

Methods: We conducted in-depth and key informant interviews with administrators of district hospitals and officers in charge of community health facilities.

Five-year experience of African Vaccination Week implemented by the WHO Regional Office.

The 5 edition of the African Vaccination Week (AVW) kicked off in Lusaka, Zambia, on 23 April 2016, the same day as did the 4th World Immunization Week (WIW), and vaccination week in other WHO regions. The theme was "Save lives, prevent disabilities, vaccinate!". The aim was to draw attention to the need to attain universal immunization coverage in the African Region by closing the immunization gap, while also celebrating the important polio eradication milestone reached in the African Region.

Challenges of immunization in the African Region.

Immunization has made significant contribution to public health in the African Region, including elimination, eradication and control of life threatening diseases. Hospitalization due to vaccine preventable diseases has been drastically reduced due to introduction of new effective vaccines. However, optimizing the benefits of immunization by achieving high universal coverage has met with many challenges.

African vaccination week as a vehicle for integrated health service delivery.

Background: African Vaccination Week (AVW) is an initiative of the Member States of the African Region aimed at promoting vaccination and ensuring equity and access to its benefits. The initiative has proven to be particularly effective in reaching populations with limited access to regular health services as well as providing an opportunity to integrate other interventions with immunization services.

Methods: Using data available from the countries within the African Region, the effectiveness of AVW in creating awareness on vaccination as well as providing platform for integrated delivery of other interventions with immunization in the African Region were explored during the 2013 and 2014 campaigns of the AVW.

Molecular characterization of measles viruses that circulated in Cameroon between 2010 and 2011.

Background: Measles virus (MeV) is monotypic, but genetic variation in the hemagglutinin H and nucleoprotein N genes can be analyzed by molecular epidemiologic techniques and used to study virus transmission patterns. The World Health Organization currently recognizes 8 clades (A-H) within which are 24 genotypes of MeV and one provisional genotype, d11. Genotype B3 is clearly the endemic genotype in most of African continent where it is widely distributed.

Community and health worker perceptions and preferences regarding integration of other health services with routine vaccinations: four case studies.

Background: Integration of routine vaccination and other maternal and child health services is becoming more common and the services being integrated more diverse. Yet knowledge gaps remain regarding community members and health workers acceptance, priorities, and concerns related to integration.

Methods: Qualitative health worker interviews and community focus groups were conducted in 4 African countries (Kenya, Mali, Ethiopia, and Cameroon).

Strengthening evidence-based planning of integrated health service delivery through local measures of health intervention delivery times.

Background: Immunization services in developing countries are increasingly used as platforms for delivery of other health interventions. A challenge for scaling up interventions on existing platforms is insufficient resources allocated to the integrated platform with the risk of overburdening a health worker. Determining the length of time to deliver priority interventions can be useful information in planning integrated services and mitigating this risk.