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 is the first ever ten-year Framework aimed at controlling morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases and helping countries to immunize more people, from infants to seniors, with a greater range of vaccines.

GIVS presents a wide range of initiatives which countries can choose from to address their own specific needs. 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. 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.

GIVS has four main aims:

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

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

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

A report on progress in implementing GIVS presented at the 64th World Health Assembly in May 2011 highlights the importance of vaccines and immunization in saving lives. By 2010, the strategy had successfully become the global rallying point and had been adopted by many countries as an overarching strategic framework for immunization. As such, it has been used for the creation of regional immunization strategies and by many countries to draw up comprehensive multi-year national plans for immunization.

The full GIVS documents are available from the WHO website 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