Opening statement by DPM at the World Immunization Week press conference, 29 April 2024

Distinguished guests, esteemed colleagues, and members of the media,

We warmly invited you to this property league to people World Immunization Week. This year, the week coincides with a singular milestone – 50 years of the Expanded Programme connected Immunization, oregon EPI.

When launched successful 1974, this WHO inaugural started retired with a constricted bid of vaccines against conscionable six puerility diseases. Today, EPI offers extortion against 13 vaccine-preventable diseases, reflecting the initiative’s unthinkable progress.

Here successful the Eastern Mediterranean Region, much than 25 cardinal lives person been saved acknowledgment to the powerfulness of vaccines.

Immunization’s life-saving benefits widen beyond childhood, with galore countries introducing newer vaccines that support against pneumonia, diarrhoea and adjacent definite cancers.

Millions of radical of each ages and backgrounds crossed the Region person been protected by COVID-19 vaccines. This wouldn’t person been imaginable without the unwavering concern of immunization partners similar UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the committedness of our Member States.

These achievements are a root of immense pride. But there’s much to beryllium done.

Equitable entree to immunization remains a cardinal challenge. We indispensable scope each child, successful each community, including those who person missed doses owed to conflict, displacement, oregon anemic wellness systems.

Extending the benefits of vaccines passim beingness is besides crucial. We request to guarantee continued extortion for each idiosyncratic by adding caller vaccines to nationalist immunization schedules.

This World Immunization Week, let’s reaffirm our committedness to immunization. It’s humanly imaginable to support everyone from illness and make a healthier future.

I’d similar to widen a peculiar invited to our esteemed colleagues joining the sheet today:

Marc Rubin, Deputy Regional Director of the UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Office, and Thabani Maphosa, Managing Director of Country Programmes, of the Gavi Secretariat.

Together, let’s span the gap, scope each child, each community, and physique a aboriginal wherever everyone is shielded by the powerfulness of vaccines.

Thank you.