9 DECEMBER 2019 - As the decade draws to a close, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunization has published a report reviewing the progress made towards the goals and objectives of the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), endorsed in 2012 by 194 Ministers of Health at the World Health Assembly.
This year’s report reflects on the lessons learned from the implementation of GVAP during the Decade of Vaccines and provides recommendations for the development, content and implementation of the next global immunization strategy.
Although many of the GVAP goals are unlikely to be achieved by 2020, steady progress has been made over the decade in many areas including:
- more children are being vaccinated each year than ever before and many low- and middle-income countries have taken huge strides in increasing immunization coverage;
- rubella has been eliminated in 81 countries;
- only 12 countries globally have not yet attained maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination;
- most low- and middle- income countries have introduced at least one new vaccine;
- the number of countries with National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) has nearly tripled from 41 in 2010 to 114 in 2018; and
- global child mortality has declined by a quarter, almost attaining the Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG4) target for reducing child mortality reduction.
Importantly, much has been learned during this decade – the nature of the key challenges facing immunization, how they can best be addressed, and how a global immunization strategy could more effectively drive forward change.
Following the review of the achievements and shortcomings observed in implementing GVAP, SAGE proposed several recommendations for the next global immunization strategy such as:
- building on the lessons from the decade and ensuring a timely and comprehensive implementation of the next strategy at country, regional and global level;
- placing countries at the center of strategy development and implementation;
- incorporating key successful elements of GVAP while adding a focus on humanitarian emergencies, displacement and migration as well as encouraging greater collaboration and integration within and beyond the health sector;
- establishing a more robust and flexible governance model with stronger emphasis on advocacy and communication;
- promoting long-term planning for the development and implementation of novel vaccines and other preventive innovations that benefit populations as rapidly as possible;
- fostering the effective use of data to stimulate and guide action as well as to inform decision-making; and
- strengthening the monitoring and evaluation at national and sub-national levels to promote greater accountability.
As health ministers meet at the 146th session of the Executive Board meeting from 3-8 February 2020 where GVAP is tabled for discussion, the GVAP review and lessons learned report will contribute to their discussions on the new global immunization strategy for the next decade.
Related links