Ministers of Health from 194 countries at the 65th World Health Assembly endorsed the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), a roadmap to prevent millions of deaths by 2020 through more equitable access to vaccines for people in all communities.

Several countries highlighted their achievements in: increasing vaccination coverage; reaching more children with existing vaccines; preventing disease outbreaks; using new vaccines against diarrhoea and pneumonia; and implementing advocacy events such as immunization weeks to highlight the importance of vaccines and immunization in saving lives.

Delegates also highlighted several key issues including the need to:

•    Mobilize more resources to support low and middle income countries to implement GVAP and monitor impact;
•    Ensure that support to countries to implement GVAP include a strong focus on strengthening routine immunization; and
•    Facilitate vaccine technology transfer to developing countries and promote strategies to bring down vaccine prices.

Following the endorsement by the Health Assembly, WHO will lead efforts ― using existing partnership and coordinating mechanisms ― to support regions and countries to adapt the GVAP into national action plans. In addition, WHO and partners will establish a monitoring and accountability framework for discussion at the Health Assembly in 2013.


more information:
http://www.who.int/immunization/documents/en/