WHO Mission to discuss the European Immunization Agenda 2030 with national counterparts to achieve the full benefits of vaccination for the next decade

In this regard, there will be organized a series of meetings with participation of national healthcare authorities and international counterparts. The events will be held within the mission of the WHO RO experts with specific reference to the European Immunization Agenda 2030 (‎EIA2030)‎.

Today, the meeting with the international partners was held to review the COVID-19 vaccination campaign and to support the planning of routine immunization activities in Azerbaijan in strong accordance with the EIA2030. During the event, WHO RO representatives Mr. Siddhartha Sankar Datta, the Programme Manager and Vaccine-Preventable diseases and Immunization (VPI) Expert, and Mrs. Roberta Pastore, the Team Lead and Immunization Analytics and Monitoring Expert, presented information on the value of investment on immunization to strengthen health system in Azerbaijan and the WHO Europe’s vision within the context of the EIA2030. Along with this, the discussion on resilient immunization systems within the gamut of “leaving no one behind” was conducted. Areas of collaboration and learning on existing support to the Ministry of Health, the role of the UN agencies, the EU, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank and other international organizations was another topic of the session.

Over the course of the three-day mission, WHO RO experts and Dr. Hande Harmanci, WHO Representative/Head of Country Office in Azerbaijan, will have a number of meetings with national healthcare authorities; Mr. Nadir Zeynalov, the Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Zaur Aliyev, the Chairman of the Executive Board of the State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance (SAMHI), Mr. Vugar Gurbanov, the Head of the Management Union of Medical Territorial Units (TABIB), and other officials to discuss the current situation and future plans and perspectives on COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization-related issues.

The WHO RO experts to pay one-day site visit devoted to the COVID-19 vaccination and the routine immunization. On the third day of the Mission, the WHO Azerbaijan will conduct the session named “Data for action” with participation of the national counterparts and international partners. The main purpose of the exercise is to discuss importance of the data-driven actions in achieving high uptake of COVID-19 vaccines through development of effective strategies.

The European Immunization Agenda 2030 (‎EIA2030)‎ is a vision and strategy to achieve the full benefits of vaccination in the WHO European Region for the next decade.

The EU-funded “COVID-19 Vaccination Support” project, implemented by the World Health Organization since June 2021, covers three-year fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthens daily immunization programs in six Eastern Partnership countries including Azerbaijan.

The project is part of the continued support of the European Union and the WHO to Azerbaijan.