Monday, 16 April 2012
  0 Replies
  7.4K Visits
by Magda Robert and Laurie Werner, Decade of Vaccines Collaboration Over the past year, the Decade of Vaccines (DoV) Collaboration has been developing a Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP). The plan is now being finalized and will be presented for endorsement at the 65th World Health Assembly, to be held in Geneva on May 21–26, 2012. One of the recommendations made is the need to improve immunization delivery systems, and the importance of innovation in achieving this. The GVAP outlines how best to provide lifesaving vaccines to those who need them most, how to maintain a strong pipeline of new vaccines, and how to strengthen public support for vaccination efforts. By 2020, the plan aims to meet the following goals: • Achieve a world free of polio. • Meet global and regional elimination targets. • Meet vaccination coverage targets in every region, country, and community. • Develop and introduce new and improved vaccines and technologies. • Exceed the MDG 4 target for reduction in child mortality. The GVAP proposes that these ambitious goals be met through six strategic objectives:
    1. All countries commit to immunization as a priority.
    2. Individuals and communities understand the value of vaccines and demand immunization as both their right and responsibility.
    3. The benefits of immunization are equitably extended to all people.
    4. Strong immunization systems are an integral part of a well-functioning health system.
    5. Immunization programmes have sustainable access to predictable funding, quality supply, and innovative technologies.
    6. Country, regional, and global research & development (R&D) innovations maximize the benefits of immunization
. For those working in the field of vaccine supply chains, strategic objective 4 is particularly important, as it emphasizes the importance of innovation in the supply chain. Establishing and improving information systems, cold chain capacity and logistics, and waste management is also highlighted as critical for the next decade. The GVAP was initially developed through the work of stakeholders across the immunization spectrum, with input from eight working groups composed of more than 100 core members. Starting in November 2011, the DoV Collaboration shared the draft GVAP with stakeholders around the world. Over the ensuing months, the DoV Collaboration held approximately 20 consultations with stakeholders in Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Western Pacific regions. http://www.technet21.org/components/com_agora/img/members/2939/mini_Panel-at-the-Americas-regional-consultation-in-Mexico-City.jpg Overall, more than 1,100 stakeholders from the working groups and global consultation process, representing more than 140 countries and 290 organizations, provided ideas, feedback, and comments on the GVAP. They represented governments, policy makers, elected officials, civil society, health professionals, global development organizations, the research community, manufacturers, and other experts. Emerging from the consultation process, certain critical components of the World Health Organization/ UNICEF Global Immunization Vision and Strategy have been given greater emphasis in the GVAP. This includes amplifying the emphasis on country ownership, generating demand for immunization, having a comprehensive strategy for vaccination (from research and development to delivery, access, and public and political support), and strengthening comprehensive disease prevention and control. The GVAP also proposes: • A high-level monitoring and evaluation framework with defined indicators and stakeholder responsibilities. • Innovation as a guiding principle. • Recasting the Reaching Every District strategic approach as “Reaching Every Community.” • Adding supply-side interventions to ensure sustainable access to vaccines. • Broader stakeholder participation in the planning and implementation process, including a larger group of actors from across the immunization spectrum. We hope the GVAP will be endorsed by the World Health Assembly in May. Once endorsed, we will have a plan that looks at the discovery, development, and delivery of immunization, and provides a strategy for country ownership, demand generation, equity, health systems strengthening, financing, supply, and research and development that needs to be translated at the regional and country levels. It will also set the foundation for a monitoring and evaluation framework for implementation of the plan over the decade. We now have a strategy for the next ten years and, once approved, the decade-long task of implementing such an ambitious plan will begin. For more information on the DoV Collaboration, visit the DoV Collaboration website or email Laurie Werner ([email protected]). To comment, make sure you are logged in and click Reply.”
There are no replies made for this post yet.