AU high-level side-event on immunization to be held on February 19
Addis Ababa, February 14, 2023 (FBC) – The 36th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly Side-event on Immunization is scheduled to kick off on Sunday, 19 February 2023, at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Medium Conference Hall.
It is stated that the event is organized by the African Union Commission, Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, in partnership with the World Health Organization.
This year’s event will be held with the theme of “Building Momentum for Routine Immunization Recovery in Africa”.
The 90-minute side event will convene Heads of State on the margins of the AU Summit in February 2023 and envisions achieving several objectives.
It aims to reignite the political will of Africa’s leaders to keep universal access to immunization at the forefront of national recovery efforts to achieve long-term health, economic and development goals.
It also envisages renewing political commitment to supporting investments in strengthening surveillance to detect outbreaks quickly, respond with urgency, and immunize all children who are not yet protected from vaccine-preventable diseases in Africa.
The meeting further aims to motivate urgent integration of polio functions, assets, innovations and lessons to accelerate last-mile polio eradication action and boost routine immunization capacities on the continent.
The event, on the other hand, is expected to prompt the consideration and adoption of the African Union Heads of State and Government Declaration on Revitalizing Routine and Reactive Vaccination Programmes in Africa.