Doha, April 25 (QNA) - The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) is participating in marking World Immunization Week, from 24 to 30 April, reaffirming the pivotal role of vaccination in protecting public health and preventing disease.

This year's World Immunization Week theme, "For every generation, vaccines work," highlights the importance of ensuring access to vaccines and promoting their use to protect all age groups, children, adults, pregnant women, and the elderly, from vaccine-preventable diseases, thereby contributing to healthier and safer communities.

On this occasion, MoPH is organizing a number of specialized training activities to develop and enhance the capacity of health facilities to deliver and expand essential immunization services, with a focus on improving accessibility for all members of society across age groups.

National awareness campaigns will also be launched to raise community awareness of the importance of vaccination and its vital role in preventing serious communicable diseases.

Qatar's Expanded Program on Immunization is recognized as one of the leading national immunisation programs in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

It provides a comprehensive range of vaccines for children and adults, protecting against more than 16 diseases. The program has successfully achieved and sustained high national coverage rates above 90 percent for most essential vaccines, contributing effectively to the eradication of polio and the significant control of diseases such as measles and rubella, while continuing efforts to meet the World Health Organization's goals for their complete elimination.

The program has received official commendation from the World Health Organization, which has designated Qatar as a regional model.

This recognition highlights the strength of its epidemiological surveillance, the efficiency of its cold chain management, and the country's commitment to the highest international standards for safe and high-quality immunization services.

In line with WHO policies and guidance, the Ministry's Department of Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control has developed a package of awareness activities emphasizing the importance of vaccination across all age groups.

These activities highlight the need for parents to ensure that children complete all scheduled doses on time, while also stressing the importance of adults receiving the recommended vaccines appropriate to each stage of life.

Achieving high vaccination coverage has contributed to improving the health of Qatar's population and eliminating many communicable diseases, thanks to the country's

comprehensive healthcare system, which is based on a proactive preventive approach and strengthening immunity through vaccination.

The 73rd World Health Assembly in 2020 endorsed the Immunization Agenda 2030. This vision, developed by the World Health Organization and its immunization partners, calls for expanding the benefits of vaccination across all stages of life and making it a strategic priority for the new decade. (QNA)