Immunization is a core component of the human right to health and an individual, community and government responsibility. Protected from the threat of vaccine –preventable diseases, immunized children have the opportunity to thrive and a better chance of realizing their full potential.

1. immunizationin Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Global Vaccine Action
Plan (GVAP) is a framework
approved by the World Health
Assembly in May 2012 to
achieve the Decade of
Vaccines vision by delivering
universal access to
immunization. One of the
GVAP targets is to reach
90% national coverage and
80% in every administrative
unit with all vaccines in
national programmes.
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FACTORS LIMITINGACCESSTO CONTINUED IMMUNIZATION
Global changes in
vaccine production and
availability of vaccines
Limited targeted
interventions for
unimmunized children
such as Roma
Lack of trust in
benefit of
immunization among
parents
Weak planning for
vaccines procurement
at the country level
Ineffective
mechanism for local
licensing including
utilizing expedited
procedures for
vaccines
procurement
Lack of confidence in
benefit of
immunization among
health professionals
Frequent stock out
vaccines
Different vaccination
schedule, types of
vaccines and mechanisms
for vaccines procurement
in 3 Administrative Units of
BiH (FBiH, RS and Brcko
District)
Middle and high income countries in the European region have a strong tradition of
immunization for more than a century, and have successfully introduced some of the new
vaccines. Today the national immunization programs face numerous challenges, including
growing costs of existing vaccines and high costs of newer vaccines, supply unavailability and
new market demands as more countries move towards EU integration.
Immunizationis a core component of the human right to
health and an individual, community and government responsibility.
Protected from the threat of vaccine –preventable diseases,
immunized children have the opportunity to thrive and a better
chance of realizing their full potential.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is an immunization self-sufficient country facing increasing challenges:
FACT SHEET March 2015

2. 68%
4%
immunizationin Bosnia and Herzegovina
IMPACT ON CHILDREN
full immunization
coverage for
all children
full immunization
coverage for
Roma children
Full immunization
Polio 3 coverage
Source: UNICEF MICS
Polio
Full immunization refer to
children that have received a
BCG vaccine and three
doses of DPT and the polio
vaccine by 12 months of age
and the MMR vaccines by
18 months.
World Health Organization declared
European region polio-free in 2002
Polio continues to be a threat,
particularly due to outbreaks in
neighboring countries
BiH is one of four European countries
(with Romania, Ukraine and Georgia)
under high risk of poliovirus
importation, since only 87% of
children are fully protected against
poliomyelitis
Herzegovina
France
Italy
Croatia
Bosnia and
80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100
Source: World Health Organization
FACT SHEET March 2015
9590858075706560
Palestine
Ghana
Serbia
Zimbabve
Bosnia and
Herzegovina

3. immunizationin Bosnia and Herzegovina
FACT SHEET March 2015
Measles outbreak
2012 2013
2014
22
10
5048
Source: Official statistic of Public Health Institute of Federation BiH and Republic of Srpska
cases of
measles
cases of
measles
cases of
measles
The outbreak started
in 2014 in Middle-Bosnia
Canton where
immunization coverage
was only 33%in 2013
and spreaded to 40%
of total BiH territory
Measles can lead
to serious
disease and death
FOČA
BILEĆA
TREBINJE
BANJA LUKA
Areas affected
by the measles outbreak
ZVORNIK
SREBRENICA
VIŠEGRAD
BRATUNAC
LOPARE
UGLJEVIK
MIDDLE
BOSNIA CANTON
CANTON
ZENICA-DOBOJ
CANTON
TUZLA
UNA-SANA
CANTON
DOBOJ
PETROVO
MODRIČA
BIJELJINA
CANTON
SARAJEVO
ISTOČNO
SARAJEVO
PALE

4. STRATEGYANDACTION NEEDED
One of UNICEF Country Programme Goals for period 2015-19 aims at achieving equitable access to and use of
quality integrated early childhood development (IECD) services, particularly for vulnerable and excluded families
with young children, such as Roma, and families with children with developmental difficulties. Immunization will
be supported, particularly to reduce the risk of wild polio virus, by closing equity gaps and addressing remaining
bottlenecks.
For more information, please contact UNICEF Bosnia and Herzegovina; Tel: +387 33 293600; E-mail: sarajevo@unicef.org
Policy dialogue and capacity building
for sustainable immunization financing,
budgeting and vaccine procurement
Assess the vaccine management
practices in the country; develop Multi-
Year Immunization Plan; Support
government to strengthen the cold
chain, temperature monitoring, logistics,
sharps disposals and vaccine
management practices
Development and implementation of the
best model for outreach vaccination for
hard to reach unimmunized children
such as Roma
Awareness raising with policy makers,
service providers, parents, media, CSOs
on importance and values of
immunization and IECD.
UNICEF activities for
2015-16 will include:
UNICEF will support the Government
addressing the below priority
interventions to ensure sustainable and
cost effective immunization programme:
Timely plan and secure
funding for vaccine
procurement
Continue supply of safe
and effective vaccines
Improve quality of service
delivery and cold chain
Regain trust in
immunization among
parents and health
professionals
Target interventions for all
unimmunized children
TOTAL budget for two years period:
US$
500,000