| |
| ABOUT US
The South African Vaccination and Immunisation Centre
(SAVIC) is a network of partners in the field of vaccination,
immunisation and vaccine-preventable diseases, and is
an academic-public alliance between the University
of Limpopo- Medunsa Campus, and the University
of Antwerp, Belgium, with the South
African Department of Health |
| UNIVERSITY
OF LIMPOPO Established on the 1st January
2005, the University
of Limpopo is a product of the merger between the
University of the North (now the Turfloop
Campus) and the Medical University of Southern
Africa (now the Medunsa
Campus).
The mission statement of the University of Limpopo is:
A world-class African University which responds to education,
research and community needs through partnerships and
knowledge generation – continuing the tradition of empowerment.
The merger brings together two universities with long
and proud histories, each having played a significant
role in the transformation, reconstruction and development
of the new South Africa.
|
| UNIVERSITY
OF ANTWERP The University of Limpopo
has a proud and long history of scientific collaboration
with the University
of Antwerp, in the fields of vaccination, immunisation
and epidemiology of vaccine-preventable diseases.
|
| DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH Immunisation against major
communicable diseases remains the highest priority on
the health agenda worldwide. The South African Department
of Health is heavily committed to universal childhood
vaccination through its national Expanded Programme on
Immunisation (EPI-SA). The SA Ministry of Health
has the vision of seeing every child, irrespective of
geographic and socio-economic background, fully protected
from all EPI vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccination
is provided for free to all children in South Africa,
within the framework of primary health care. This
vision is shared by other world health bodies, alliances,
coalitions, and agencies such as the WHO,
GAVI,
UNICEF,
Children's
Vaccine Program (CVP) at PATH, Vaccine Fund, etc.
|
| OTHER PARTNERS
SAVIC is committed to collaborate and share its resources
and expertise with local, regional and global agents,
alliances and other partners as appropriate (e.g. regional
Ministries of Health, WHO-AFRO,
Vaccine Industry, Children's
Vaccine Programme at Path, GAVI,
UNICEF
and Network
for Education and Support in Immunisation (NESI) at
University of Antwerp in Belgium).
|
| SAVIC PROJECTS
The mission statement of SAVIC is to improve
the health of future generations by strengthening immunisation
programmes and services in Southern Africa through research,
education, training and provision of technical support.
Currently, SAVIC is focussing on a project
funded through the Own Initiative Programme of the Vlaamse
Interuniversitaire Raad (VLIR or Flemish Interuniversity
Council):
Improving the Health
of Future Generations by Strengthening Infant Immunisation
Programmes in South Africa
Background:
Vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio, diphtheria,
tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, measles, etc, pose a
serious threat to the health of children and the global
population. Highly effective and efficacious vaccines
are available and can help to save considerable numbers
of lives lost each year. Immunisation against major communicable
diseases remains the highest priority on the health agenda
worldwide.
The South African Department of Health is heavily committed
to immunisation and has a vision of protecting all children
from vaccine-preventable diseases, and has prioritised
the expansion of immunisation coverage as part of the
5 year (2000 - 2004) National Health Plan.
Challenges to the success of the EPI include:
- Knowledge on immunisation programmes and practices
is largely harboured by the Ministries of Health
- The perceived success of the EPI has led to complacency
amongst health care workers (HCWs), many of whom have
never seen polio or measles
- Competing priorities such as HIV/AIDS take more attention
and efforts of the Ministries of Health, with less focus
given to immunisation programmes leading to under-utilisation
of immunisation services and vaccines.
Objectives:
- Create a centre of excellence in the field of vaccinology,
immunisation programmes and services, and epidemiology
of vaccine preventable diseases to support EPI-SA
- Increase synergy between University of Limpopo – Medunsa
Campus, the Department of Health (nationally and provincially)
and other stakeholders, with the ultimate aim of strengthening
immunisation programmes and increasing knowledge on
vaccine preventable diseases in South Africa
- Provide support to the EPI-SA by improving capacity
of their personnel to implement training activities.
Focus areas:
- Curricula update and training:
This involves the evaluation and upgrading of the pre-service
curricula and in-service training of HCWs.
- Behavioural and social
issues: This focus area identifies
factors relating to uptake of immunisation, including
the influence of cultural practices, the anti-vaccination
lobby and the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of
HCWs involved in immunisation.
- Epidemiology:
This area focuses on improving knowledge of vaccine-preventable
diseases and the impact of vaccination on burden of
vaccine-preventable diseases.
- Health systems management
and policy: This focus area is concerned
with cost effectiveness of vaccination, and evaluation
of the quality of reported data on vaccine-preventable
diseases.
|
SUPPORTS
AND GRANTS
The SAVIC website is currently supported by University
of Limpopo, University
of Antwerp, Vlaamse
Interuniversitaire Raad (VLIR
or Flemish Interuniversity Council) and an unrestricted
educational grant from Sanofi
Pasteur.
Additional support from other sponsors and agencies will
be highly appreciated.
Any one who would like to support SAVIC
can contact us at info@savic.ac.za or
savic@ul.ac.za
Tel +27 12 521 4404 or 3077
Fax +27 12 521 5794
Postal
address
Physical
address
|
|
