A project to integrate COVID-19 vaccines into routine health care in North Macedonia and enhance the country’s routine vaccine deployment, including vaccinations against human papillomavirus for both girls and boys of appropriate age, has concluded after 18 months of critical work. The project, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and titled “Boosting immunization efforts and COVID-19 vaccine deployment in North Macedonia”, focused on improving governance and operational structures, including revising national guidelines and aligning them with the recommendations of WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization.
Since launching in 2023, the project has empowered more than 400 health-care workers by equipping them with updated training, tools, and guidelines. At the closing event held in Skopje, key stakeholders from the Ministry of Health, Institute for Public Health, Centres for Public Health, immunization teams throughout the country, WHO Country Office in North Macedonia, and other partners gathered to reflect on the project’s achievements and discuss future strategies for maintaining high vaccination coverage.
Dr Akeem Ali from the WHO Country Office addressed the event by stating that “WHO’s focus is now on equitable access to vaccines, ensuring that vulnerable populations are not left behind in North Macedonia’s immunization drive.”
Promoting vaccine confidence
Through the Reaching Every District immunization strategy, piloted in 16 municipalities, the project prioritized high-risk populations with targeted outreach focused on increasing public awareness and acceptance of vaccination, particularly among underserved populations
A key initiative, the ABC Immunization community engagement plan, initially trained women leaders to conduct outreach activities in selected municipalities with low vaccine coverage. In addition, the Sprint for Vaccination campaign reached over 3000 families, administering nearly 2000 doses of routine vaccines. Additionally, a public event featuring beloved children’s characters Bibi and Bobi engaged more than 2000 children in Skopje as part of European Immunization Week 2024, which was celebrated alongside our USAID and European Union partners.
Dr Jovica Andovski, Deputy Minister of Health, and Ms Enid Nunez, Program Office Director at USAID for North Macedonia, attended the closing event. Dr Andovski noted that strengthening immunization efforts is critical for building a resilient health system that can save more lives.
Future action
As this USAID-funded project draws to a close, WHO’s focus starts to shift to future initiatives. Discussions during the event highlighted the importance of continued investment in digital health tools, the introduction of new vaccines, and sustained efforts to maintain public trust in vaccines.
The event concluded with a forward-looking message from all the involved partners: a stronger health system not only saves more lives, but also ensures a healthier, more resilient future for North Macedonia.
Special thanks to our partners: the Ministry of Health, the Institute for Public Health, Centres for Public Health, all vaccination units throughout the country, UNICEF and the European Union for their collaborative efforts.