EIW 2011 Regional Launch

From right, Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde of Belgium; Ms Laurette Onkelinx, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health of Belgium; Ms Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe

The regional launch of European Immunization Week 2011 took place in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday, 26 April 2011. Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde of Belgium participated in this launch as WHO/Europe’s Special Representative for Immunization. In addition to the Princess, the launch event brought together representatives from key EIW partners, such as UNICEF and ECDC, as well as public health officials from Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland.

This year, the EIW theme of “shared solutions to common threats” has very real and immediate application, as dozens of countries across the WHO European Region are experiencing measles outbreaks. The measles virus is spreading among Member States, as well as to other regions of the world, making it vital for countries to come together and collaborate on joint planning of preventive measures and effective responses.

In light of the measles situation, the launch event was followed by a roundtable, during which participants shared experiences and addressed ways that countries can work together to keep measles under control in the Region.

Video footage from the regional launch will be available on the WHO/Europe website shortly.