WHO Scholar programme webinar series #1: Establishing and strengthening immunization in the second year of life (2YL)

How do we increase vaccination coverage for all ages with a system almost exclusively designed for newborns and babies?

This blog post is part of a series about the WHO Scholar programme’s webinar series in May and June 2019 about reducing inequities and improving coverage for immunization. Learn more and register for the webinars

GENEVA, 15 May 12019 (The Geneva Learning Foundation) – Over 2,200 immunization professionals from 96 countries registered to participate in the World Health Organization Scholar programme’s first open webinar series on reducing inequities and improving coverage for immunization. The inaugural webinar led by WHO’s Samir Sodha focused on immunization in the second year of life (2YL).

Watch the recording of this WHO Scholar programme webinar

Introducing the series, the World Health Organization’s Diane Chang Blanc reminded participants of the pledge that all individuals and communities should enjoy lives free from vaccine-preventable diseases. “That was part of the vision for the Decade of Vaccines,” she explained. “As we move into the next decade, we want to achieve that collectively as a global community.”

790 Scholars from 37 countries were in attendance, with a third connecting from the district level. 300 of them have been selected by the World Health Organization to participate in the first cohort of the WHO Scholar Level 2 certification in reducing inequities and improving coverage.

By 6 July 2019, this cohort will create hundreds of peer-reviewed, context-specific action plans to improve immunization outcomes, helping to transform WHO guidelines into action.

WHO Technical Officer Samir Sodha explained: “Today’s immunization system is currently almost exclusively designed for a one year old population. We can offer vaccines to a multiple-age population (newborns, pregnant women seniors). But, for each population, we need to develop unique strategies and platforms to get to them.”

Establishing and strengthening immunization in the second year of life offers a first step to establishing a life course approach for immunization “as it doesn’t necessarily require a new platform.” Nevertheless, Samir cautions that expanding coverage to the second year of life is not necessarily straightforward and requires a system-wide approach.

INVITATION à la Cérémonie de remise des certificats le 3 juillet 2018: Stratégies et pratiques mondiales de vaccination systématique (SPMVS) de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé

L’équipe pédagogique, les experts, et les apprenants de la seconde cohorte du cours sur l’utilisation des Stratégies et pratiques mondiales de vaccination systématique (SPMVS) de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) ont l’honneur et le plaisir de vous inviter à la Cérémonie de remise des certificats et présentation d’une sélection des plans d’actions SPMVS des apprenants.

Nous vous prions de télécharger l’invitation pour la partager avec vos collègues et vos réseaux professionnels.

 

WHO Survey Scholar (2017) Commencement Exercises

The World Health Organization’s Survey Scholar learning initiative is aimed at epidemiologists and statisticians 
interested in leading or supporting vaccination coverage surveys. Learn more

In 2017, 324 people applied and 214 (66%) were admitted to the programme. Between 28 August and 22 December 2017, course participants completed challenging assignments and developed peer-reviewed projects in three digital modules covering survey design, protocols, and data analysis.

On 24 January 2018, the 2017 World Health Organization vaccination coverage survey Scholars and their course team held Commencement Exercises.

125 participants out of 199 (63%) earned a certificate for at least one of the three Survey Scholar Modules.

WHO Survey Scholar 2017 Commencement Exercises

Over 460 people, including colleagues and family members of Survey Scholars, attended this event broadcast on Facebook Live.

You may view the recording by clicking on the video below.