Globally, immunization prevents 3 million child deaths each year and the World Health Organization estimates that 25% of the remaining under-5 mortality –approximately 2 million deaths annually– could be prevented with existing vaccines. Success in reducing vaccine-preventable mortality has been dramatic, but it cannot be taken for granted. For example, one million newborns died of tetanus 30 years ago compared to about 130,000 last year – an 87% reduction. But this achievement must be maintained and built upon every year to further lower neonatal mortality from tetanus.

While vaccination coverage in some countries now exceeds 80% , coverage is not the only metric. Babies and women must be reached before exposure to disease by both potent vaccines and high-quality services in a timely, safe, effective, acceptable and affordable manner, so that they return to complete all their doses. Coverage disparities also continue within countries, with few countries reaching 80% or higher coverage in all districts. To prevent outbreaks, consistently high coverage is needed everywhere. Increasingly, vaccination programs are aiming to reach the hard-to-reach and marginalized groups to improve access and equity.

MCHIP is dedicated to ensuring that every infant and woman of childbearing age in the developing world is fully immunized. Working with global, regional, national, and sub-national partners, MCHIP provides practical, field-oriented technical analysis and support, shares information and best practices in the field of immunization with countries and partners and aims to strengthen health systems by building local capacity to offer effective and sustainable vaccination services. MCHIP provides technical support to routine immunization systems to sustain mortality reduction gains achieved through campaigns and to serve as a platform for effective introduction of new, life-saving vaccines.

MCHIP focuses on:

• Reaching the unreached in selected countries with timely vaccination
• Using immunization outreach as a platform for routine delivery of other interventions
• Introducing new and under-utilized vaccines
• Supporting vaccine-preventable disease interventions, including polio eradication and measles mortality reduction
• Linking immunization with other interventions
• Preparing and responding to pandemic H1N1 influenza
• Providing technical support at global and regional levels