Latest news with #ImmunizationAgenda2030
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Health
- Express Tribune
Zero-dose children
Listen to article In the last five decades, vaccinations have granted life to an estimated 154 million children around the world. A study, published in prestigious British medical journal The Lancet, while touting this marvellous feat of modern medicine, is flashing red lights at declining global progress regarding vaccinations in more recent decades. The distressing warning comes merely a few years after the Covid-19 pandemic, which reportedly amplified vaccine coverage inequities and stagnating development. And in this global crisis, Pakistan unfortunately holds the position of having South Asia's second highest number of zero-dose children. These 'zero-dose' children – those who have not received any vaccinations – are left defenceless against the risk of fatal, yet preventable, diseases. About 419,000 children did not receive routine vaccinations in 2023, turning diseases like measles, tuberculosis and polio more dangerous than ever. For decades, Pakistan has failed to eliminate wild-type polio, which only persists in two countries around the world. Now, with its second highest ranking in South Asia of zero-dose children, the healthcare climate for the region's youngest and most vulnerable is rapidly becoming one of the worst in the world. Reaching the WHO's goal of improving vaccine coverage globally through the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), as per The Lancet study, necessitates "accelerated progress". But in a country where the federal budget prioritises security spending and bureaucratic salary raises, and much of the dedicated healthcare budget slips through the cracks of corruption, any progress seems to be a welcome contribution. Moreover, misinformation regarding vaccines is so rampant in Pakistani society that the culture often becomes its own worst enemy. This recent ranking demands all caretakers of our nation's children to jolt themselves awake and face the sordid reality of their inaction – before the toll falls solely on those least to blame.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Vaccinating India: on zero-dose children
On the bright side, vaccine coverage globally, between 1980 and 2023, doubled for six diseases including measles, polio and tuberculosis. Also, at 75% globally, there has been a sharp fall in the number of zero-dose children — those who have not received the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine — during the same time period. The number of zero-dose children is a crucial performance marker and an indicator of vaccination coverage inequities. Despite increased immunisation coverage over the decades, in 2023, at 1.44 million, India, according to The Lancet, still had the second largest number of zero-dose children, and is among the eight countries with over 50% of the nearly 16 million zero-dose children globally. Most of the zero-dose children globally are in countries that are conflict-affected or with limited resources for vaccination programmes — India has neither of the two problems. However, about 23 million babies were born in 2023 in India, the highest in the world; in 2024, China, which has the second highest number of newborns globally, reported just 9.5 million newborns. Though the number of zero-dose children is staggering, when seen in the context of the number of newborns in 2023, the percentage of zero-dose children in India is 6.2%. A study in 2021 found that India had sharply reduced the percentage of zero-dose children, from 33.4% in 1992 to 10.1% in 2016. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of zero-dose children was 1.4 million in 2019 but this swelled to 2.7 million in 2021 and then dropped to 1.1 million in 2022 before increasing to 1.44 million in 2023. As in the 2021 study, a large percentage of zero-dose children are in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. There is also a relatively high proportion of them in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. Over the years, the difference in zero-dose children based on gender, caste, and rural-urban status has reduced substantially. However, prevalence remains high among the poor, mothers with low education, Scheduled Tribes and Muslims. Focus is needed to immunise children in hard-to-reach tribal areas, urban slums where there is a huge migrant population, and in reducing vaccine hesitancy among Muslim households with newborn children. India has much work to do to meet WHO's Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) — halving zero-dose children relative to 2019. With the number of zero-dose children in 2023 (1.44 million) only about nearly reaching the 2019 level of 1.4 million, India needs greater and sustained efforts to halve this number in the next five years.
Zawya
30-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Africa Vaccination Week 2025: Message from Ms Shenaaz El-Halabi, World Health Organization (WHO) South Africa Representative
On the occasion of Africa Vaccination Week 2025, we join the continent and the global community in reaffirming our shared commitment to the power and promise of immunisation. This year's theme, 'Immunisation for All is Humanly Possible,' and the slogan 'Vaccinated Communities, Healthy Communities' remind us that universal immunisation is not only a moral imperative, but a practical goal within reach. Africa Vaccination Week is more than a symbolic observance; it is a call to action. Across the region, we continue to see the devastating impacts of vaccine-preventable diseases, with far too many children still unreached. The growing number of zero-dose children, those who have never received a single vaccine highlights the critical gaps that demand urgent attention. This year's commemoration builds on the momentum of The Big Catch-Up, the recovery plan launched in 2023 to restore immunisation services disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. But recovery alone is not enough. We must go further. We must ensure that no child, no adolescent, no adult is left behind regardless of where they live or their socioeconomic status. In South Africa, WHO continues to work alongside the government and key partners to strengthen immunization coverage and build public trust. From urban clinics to remote communities, efforts must be intensified to identify and reach zero-dose and under-immunized children, promote vaccine equity, and reinforce routine immunization as a cornerstone of primary health care and Universal Health Coverage. As we mark the midpoint of the Immunization Agenda 2030, we call on communities to take active steps by engaging with their local health providers and ensuring children receive their scheduled vaccines. We urge health care workers and facilities to prioritize catch-up vaccination and strengthen public trust through clear and consistent communication. We encourage the National Department of Health to sustain momentum through bold, data-driven immunization strategies. We also call on traditional leaders to use their trusted voices to encourage families and individuals in their communities to prioritize immunization. And we appeal to partners and other government sectors to integrate vaccination efforts into their programmes across education, social services, and humanitarian response so that every person, everywhere, is protected. We must not allow misinformation, complacency, or resource constraints to undermine the hard-won progress of recent decades. Since 1974, the Expanded Programme on Immunisation has saved more than 50 million lives across Africa. This legacy must continue. Africa Vaccination Week is a moment to recommit. It is a reminder that immunisation not only saves lives but builds stronger health systems, empowers families, and protects our collective future. Let us move forward with urgency, unity, and unwavering resolve. Immunisation for all is not only possible, it is necessary. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - South Africa.
Forbes
24-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Outbreaks Threaten Progress Against Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
Measles and other diseases are on the rise, straining health systems and putting lives at risk. A call to action to invest in immunization as funding cuts jeopardize hard-won global gains. Twelve-year-old Fatima shows her nail marked with ink indicating that she has been vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) at her home in Katsina, Nigeria. Fatima's mother, Binta Salisu, 42, works as a volunteer community mobilizer, informing and educating community members about the importance of routine immunization. Immunization has saved an estimated 150 million lives since 1974 — six lives every minute. Vaccination accounts for 40 percent of the improvement in infant survival rates. It is one of the best buys in health, with a return on investment of $54 for every $1 invested. And when vaccination is made part of an integrated primary health care system, families are connected to other essential services, from antenatal care to nutrition and malaria screenings. Yet immunization efforts are under growing threat. Coverage gaps persist. Misinformation, population growth, humanitarian crises and funding cuts are jeopardizing progress against vaccine-preventable diseases, leaving millions of children, adolescents and adults at risk, UNICEF, the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, warned in a joint statement issued on April 24, 2025, the first day of World Immunization Week. A health worker administers an oral vaccine to an ethnic Shan baby during a catch-up routine immunization session supported by UNICEF in a hard-to-reach village in southern Shan State, Myanmar. The statement included a call to action for parents, the public and politicians to strengthen support for immunization, and for countries to honor their commitments to the Immunization Agenda 2030 through sustained investments in routine immunization programs and catch-up campaigns. 'The global funding crisis is severely limiting our ability to vaccinate over 15 million vulnerable children in fragile and conflict-affected countries against measles,' said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. 'Immunization services, disease surveillance and outbreak responses in nearly 50 countries are already being disrupted — with setbacks at a similar level to what we saw during COVID-19. We cannot afford to lose ground in the fight against preventable diseases.' Related: Vaccines Save Lives There were 10.3 million measles cases in 2023 — up 20 percent compared to 2022 — and the upward trend has likely continued in 2024 and into 2025, the agencies reported, with 138 countries reporting measles cases in the past 12 months. Outbreaks of meningitis and yellow fever are also rising globally. Diseases like diphtheria, which have long been held at bay or have virtually disappeared in many countries, are at risk of re-emerging. These outbreaks are coinciding with global funding cuts. Nearly half of WHO's 108 country offices, most of them in low- and lower-middle-income countries, recently reported moderate to severe disruptions to vaccination campaigns, routine immunization and supply access due to reduced donor funding. Surveillance activities are also affected. Enamul Haque, a UNICEF-supported health worker, transports vaccines to remote communities in India's Darrang district, Assam state. On the job since 2016, he travels some 20 miles every day, cold boxes strapped to his motorcycle. At the same time, more children are missing out on routine vaccinations, despite catch-up efforts following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, an estimated 14.5 million children missed all of their routine vaccine doses, up from 13.9 million in 2022 and 12.9 million in 2019. Over half of these children live in fragile settings, including countries facing conflict or instability — environments where access to basic health services is often disrupted. Related: Americans Who Never Forget: Life Without Vaccines UNICEF's joint efforts with partners have helped countries expand access to vaccines and strengthen immunization systems through primary health care, despite the mounting challenges. Related: Delivering Measles Vaccines on Horseback in Kyrgyzstan Building immunity, one dose at a time: Sameh, 5, receives the polio vaccine near his house in Aden, Yemen as part of a UNICEF-supported immunization campaign. As the world's largest single vaccine buyer, UNICEF procures more than 2 billion doses of vaccines annually for routine immunization campaigns and outbreak response — supplying enough vaccines each year to vaccinate 45 percent of the world's children under age 5. And there have been some recent wins: Related: HPV Vaccination Campaign Protects Girls in Nigeria In Katsina, Nigeria, three sisters — from left: Safiyyai, 19, Shamsiyya, 30, and Hadiza, 25 — venture out to educate local families with girls aged 9-14 years about the week-long second phase of the single-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine rollout, which has been incorporated into Nigeria's routine immunization program, with UNICEF's support. Shamsiyya has been a volunteer community mobilizer since 2012, informing and educating community members about the importance of routine immunization. 'Increasing outbreaks of highly infectious diseases are a concern for the whole world," said Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. "The good news is, we can fight back." 'Increasing outbreaks of highly infectious diseases are a concern for the whole world. The good news is, we can fight back.' Gavi's plan — with UNICEF as a key partner — is committed to expanding its investments in global vaccine stockpiles and rolling out targeted preventive vaccination in countries most impacted by meningitis, yellow fever and measles. Targets for 2026 to 2030 are to reach 500 million children with vaccine protection, saving at least 8 million lives. But lack of funding could undermine these efforts, Nishtar noted. A high-level pledging summit on June 25, 2025 seeks to raise at least $9 billion from donors. Help UNICEF reach more children in need. Donate today.
