Global NGO Amref Health Africa (https://Amref.org/home/), biopharmaceutical company MSD (www.MSD.com) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) (https://AfricaCDC.org) will hold a webinar for journalists to discuss the importance of vaccination, and the media’s central role in creating awareness of the value of immunization as a public health intervention.

What: Africa Vaccines Journalist Webinar 2020

Who: Immunization experts from Africa CDC, independent research, academia, the private sector and the media.

When: Wednesday, 28 October 2020 from 11:00AM to 13:00PM EAT (10:00AM - 12:00PM CAT)

Where: Online – ZOOM. Participating journalists will be invited from sub-Saharan African countries and receive log in details for attendance.

Language: English, with simultaneous French translation

Registration link: https://apo-opa.com/msd-en/

Details:

Hosted under the theme, Vaccination in Africa: A Public Health Priority, the webinar will be a platform to educate and inform journalists on the importance of vaccination and on concepts related to immunisation in sub-Saharan Africa and around the world. The webinar will also provide current information on immunization coverage across sub-Saharan Africa, including the link with the current Covid-19 and potential future pandemics.

Although Africa has seen remarkable progress towards access to immunisation, one in five African children still lack access to all recommended life-saving vaccines.

On this backdrop, journalists will have the opportunity to gain valuable insights from scientific experts coming from different sectors on the threat of vaccine hesitancy and the media’s important function in addressing it by providing accurate information, addressing misconceptions and helping the public understand the role of vaccination as a tool for  outbreak preparedness and response.