Call on Continent`s Leaders to increase investments in immunisation

Immunization experts in Africa have called on African leaders to increase investments in immunization to safeguard lives of children. 

In a statement issued by the Biannual Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (RITAG) in Johannesburg, South Africa, RITAG said while Africa had made significant gains towards increasing access to immunization in the past few decades, its coverage, measured in percentage of children receiving the third dose of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, has stagnated at 74 per cent in recent years.  

The statement said vaccine preventable diseases still kill more than half a million children under-five years in Africa annually, representing approximately 56 per cent of global deaths.  

It said some members explored a range of pressing issues including access to affordable vaccines for middle-income countries, maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination in Africa; and management of cholera in emergency settings.   

It said funding from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative for immunization GPEI supports surveillance activities, laboratory networks, human resource and routine immunization programmes adding that increased funding would be needed from governments to ensure polio is phased out

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