We have these amazing new vaccines that can save the lives of millions of children, but the health services through which they are delivered are poorly resourced and rely on weak infrastructure.
They are also massively understaffed — there’s a global shortage of at least 3.5 million health workers who are needed to put the jab in the child’s arm.
Much like the members of the A-Team, I love it when a plan comes together. But while reflecting on the Decade of Vaccines Action Plan on my journey home from the regional consultation, my thoughts turned to: What’s Next?
It would be a missed opportunity if the plan is adopted only to later flounder because people don’t know how to get started. I decided to use this blog to do a little ‘blue-sky thinking’, if you’ll excuse the business speak, and think in terms of actions.
It was something a little different for me to be invited to an immunisation conference aimed predominantly at two regions that rarely come onto my radar — the Middle East and North Africa, and Central and Eastern Europe. This part of the world faces its own unique set of health challenges.
With the promise of change, high energy, and good times ahead, the fact that Chinese New Year fell the day before an important date for many of us working on immunisation seems like a good sign.
Key points from Save the Children and the GAVI Civil Society Constituency’s statement to the World Health Organization Executive Board on the draft of the Global Vaccine Action Plan.
A comprehensive report on the outcome of the immunisation workshop and decade of vaccine meeting in Namibia, listing progresses, challenges and recommendations in strengthening immunisation programmes.
Watch this film on the outcomes of the GAVI press conference.
A diverse range of global organisations and health activists have launched a call to action today in support of the GAVI Alliance global vaccination conference which is taking place on Monday. The statement was prepared by the GAVI Civil Society Steering Committee, which includes Save the Children’s Head of Health Simon Wright.
How has your support been vital in lobbying governments to save children’s lives? Why are we focussing on vaccines? Find out this Sunday (12 June) if you join an exclusive phone call to hear direct from Bill Gates, philanthropist and technology guru, about why he’s investing so much time and money into vaccines for children, together with Justin Forsyth, Save the Children’s CEO.
I see the direct improvement made to people’s lives in Mozambique by the money raised by our supporters in events such as marathons, during a visit to a health clinic, school and communiity centre.
