Immunization

The Global Immunization Vision and Strategy (GIVS)

A woman is immunized against tetanus using a Uniject syringe, in Benkene, a remote village north-east of Bamako, Mali.

The Global Immunization Vision and Strategy (GIVS) is a framework for protecting children from preventable childhood diseases such as measles, tetanus, and whooping cough.

Developed by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), GIVS calls for raising global immunization coverage for these common diseases to at least 90 per cent in every country over the next five years.

These school children in the town of Naivasha, Kenya, have just received their vaccinations against measles.

GIVS is the first ever strategic framework for immunization designed to respond to the challenges of a rapidly changing and increasingly interdependent world. It presents a wide range of initiatives which countries can choose from to address their own specific needs. UNICEF and the WHO say the objectives outlined in the strategy must be addressed if the world is to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of a two thirds reduction in mortality among children under five by 2015.

Goals

Between 2006 and 2015, all those working on immunization and related product development should strive to prevent morbidity and mortality by achieving the following goals and targets.

By 2010 or earlier

Increase coverage. Countries will reach at least 90% national vaccination coverage and at least 80% vaccination coverage in every district or equivalent administrative unit.
Reduce measles mortality. Globally, mortality due to measles will have been reduced by 90% compared to the 2000 level.

By 2015 or earlier (as the case may be)

Sustain coverage
Reduce morbidity and mortality
Ensure access to vaccines of assured quality
Introduce new vaccines
Ensure capacity for surveillance and monitoring
Strengthen systems
Assure sustainability

Four Strategic Areas

Protecting more people in a changing world
Introducing new vaccines and technologies
Integrating immunization, other health interventions and surveillance in the health systems context
Immunizing in the context of global inter-dependence

A boy winces as he is vaccinated against measles, at a clinic in the village of Goe, Liberia.

GIVS places special emphasis on the poorest and most underserved areas, where the majority of child deaths occur. GIVS, which addresses the time period 2006-2015, was discussed and officially endorsed at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, in May 2005. The full GIVS documents are available from the WHO in English and French.

Contact at WHO		Contact at UNICEF
Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals (IVB) WHO Avenue Appia, 20 CH-1211 Geneva 27 Switzerland		Immunization UNICEF House 3 UN Plaza New York, NY 10017 United States of America
Fax: + 41 22 791 4227 E-mail: vaccines@who.int IVB web site		Fax: + 1 212 326 7412 E-mail: media@unicef.org Immunization portal