African leaders, including health and finance ministers, met this week in Ethiopia for the first-ever Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa. Their focus: expanding access to vaccines. Vaccine-preventable deaths are a major killer of children in Africa: nearly 1.5 million child deaths still occur annually. Universal access to immunization is at the forefront of enabling Africa to reach its full potential–by improving health, driving economic growth and empowering future generations. Immunization is one of the most cost-effective solutions in global health, with clear benefits for health and development. 

This conference served as a powerful platform for governments to address hindrances to accessing vaccines and to sign a declaration committing to expanding access on the African continent. The Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa was an important step toward making this vision a reality. 

Learn more about the results of the conference:

• Explore the conference website.
• Read the ministerial declaration.
• Read the civil society declaration.
• Read a blog from USAID's flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program on three keys to ending vaccine-preventable deaths.
• Learn how India mobilized to eliminate polio.
• Learn more about USAID’s work on immunization and maternal and child health. 

Photo credit: UNICEF Ethiopia/2013/Sewunet