Webinar Application of a Life Course Approach to National Immunization Programs
Dates:
27/02/2024
Participants:
622 participants, representing 49 countries from the Americas, Europe, Africa, Western Pacific and Southeast Asia WHO world regions.
The meeting was attended by authorities and technical teams from Expanded Programs on Immunization (EPI) and Health Systems in Ministries of Health, PAHO’s immunization focal points in the countries of the Americas, health professionals including members of National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAG) and members of non-governmental organizations supporting immunization strategies.
Content:
The webinar “Application of a Life Course Approach to National Immunization Programs” organized by PAHO’s Comprehensive Immunizations (CIM) Special Program aimed to disseminate the content of the technical document “Achieving better immunity: the life course approach for healthy longevity” and to explore the application of the life course approach (LCA) to national immunization programs through practical examples, including experiences from the Ministries of Health of Brazil and of Colombia and the International Federation on Aging (IFA).
As longevity worldwide continues to increase, it is crucial that immunization strategies are re-designed and implemented to reach people in those key moments of life when vaccines can maximize their well-being and that of their communities. CIM, in collaboration with the Healthy Life Course Unit of PAHO, developed technical resources on how to strengthen immunization policies and service delivery throughout the life course. In PAHO’s latest webinar, participants learned about the concepts and principles of the LCA in the context of national immunization programs, and their possible applications in the daily operations of vaccinators and managers of immunization programs.
Additionally, representatives of the Health Ministries of Brazil and Colombia and the Director of Policy and Advocacy from the International Federation on Aging shared their experience in applying an LCA to improve coverage rates, reduce missed opportunities and advocate for policies to strengthen vaccination platforms beyond childhood. The technical document launched at this webinar will be useful to countries in the Americas region and beyond in their efforts to achieve the objectives of the Immunization Agenda 2030.
Outcomes:
- Technical document - Building better immunity: A life course approach to healthy longevity: Examples of activities to promote vaccination along the life course for four key groups
- Infographic - Building better immunity: A life course approach to healthy longevity
- Resource center: Immunization across the life course
- Webinar: Application of the life course approach to national immunization programs
Resources:
https://www.paho.org/en/events/webinar-application-life-course-approach-national-immunization-programs
Author: PAHO/CIM