Vaccines for Africa (VACFA)
Language: English
Audience: health-care professionals, parents, policy-makers, immunization programme managers, and the general public.
The VACFA web site is intended to be an interactive forum for the exchange of accurate, up-to-date, evidence-based information on vaccines and immunization practices relevant to Africa.
The web site includes general information on immunization, information on specific vaccine-preventable diseases, structured information for health-care professionals, and information geared towards parents and the lay public. All information on the web site is free access. References are provided for all information on the site, with links to source materials. There are also links to other immunization web sites which may be of interest. VACFA has an advisory board composed of acknowledged experts on vaccine and immunization issues from across Africa.
VACFA was formed in 2008 because of the belief of those responsible for the site that effective communication is an essential component of national immunization programmes in Africa — facilitating the mobilization of resources, encouraging participation and ownership of immunization services among a range of stakeholders, and leading to positive changes in knowledge and attitudes towards immunization in Africa.
Individual articles on the site are updated within a month of new evidence becoming available. The news section is updated whenever news on vaccines and immunization issues relevant to Africa becomes available.
Date of primary evaluation: November 2009
Date of most recent evaluation: October 2012