Event highlight
WHO in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in partnership with the European Union, organized the final workshop of their joint project aimed at strengthening immunization in the Western Balkans. The event brought together representatives of health institutions from the Federation of BiH, the Republika Srpska and the Brčko District, as well as partners and local media.
The workshop highlighted key project activities, including the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination and efforts to build long-term resilience in routine immunization systems in BiH. It also provided a platform to discuss future strategies for improving immunization coverage.
Stela Stojisavljević, Disease Control Officer at the WHO Country Office in BiH, noted that immunization in the Western Balkans is not yet at the desired level. “Information collected by WHO from health authorities in BiH shows that measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage stands at 69% for the first dose, while 95% is required for herd immunity. Other vaccines, such as the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) and hepatitis B vaccines, also fall short of the recommended coverage.”
She emphasized, “The lack of herd immunity increases the risk of outbreaks of these vaccine-preventable diseases. Last year, for example, BIH experienced a large measles outbreak affecting both children and adults.”
Goran Čerkez, Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Health of the Federation of BiH, highlighted that immunization coverage tends to rise after major outbreaks, but stressed that broader social responsibility is also critical.
He explained, “Many factors influence immunization. It is not only about the health system but also about community engagement for the benefit of every child. Global changes affect our country as well, and the too-low immunization rate is a reminder that we must maintain high coverage to prevent the return of preventable diseases.”
Jelena Đaković Dević from the Institute of Public Health of the Republika Srpska noted that vaccine coverage is suboptimal across all vaccines. “Coverage in the first year of life is generally high, but the biggest challenge is the MMR vaccine, with first-dose coverage around 66% in the Republika Srpska. This is insufficient for herd immunity and population protection.”
On preventing future epidemics, she emphasized that health systems in BiH are capable of responding to outbreaks, and that the law mandates vaccination against 10 infectious diseases. “Efforts are also ongoing to educate health workers, parents, teachers and preschool educators,” she added.
The cold chain in BiH has been fully upgraded, ensuring vaccines are safely stored with continuous temperature monitoring and transported securely. Public education remains a priority, with the media playing a key role in sharing verified, scientifically backed information and countering misinformation online.
Stela Stojisavljević explained that WHO continues to support health authorities in BiH to strengthen the immunization system through development of guidelines and instructions, health worker training, and outreach to parents to reinforce that vaccination is safe and reliable.
She underlined, “All vaccines in BiH are proven safe and highly effective in preventing serious and potentially life-threatening diseases. These vaccines are used in countries throughout the world, including in the European Union.”
Event notice
Hosted by the WHO Country Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this workshop brings together health decision-makers from Republika Srpska, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brčko District to:
- present activities carried out as part of the joint WHO/European Union (EU) project focused on COVID-19 vaccination deployment and building the longer-term resilience of routine immunization systems in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and
- discuss future plans for strengthening immunization in Bosnia and Herzegovina.