Vaccination Efforts Save Millions Of Lives In Africa, According To WHO Report

Efforts to increase vaccine coverage in Africa are significantly reducing the threat of diseases like measles, polio, and cervical cancer, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). In 2023, vaccinations saved 1.8 million lives in Africa, nearly half of the global total of 4.2 million. This progress is attributed to government initiatives and support from partners such as Gavi, UNICEF, and WHO.

Despite a rise in birth rates between 2022 and 2023, the African region saw a two-percentage-point increase in diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) immunisation among one-year-olds, reaching 74%. This indicates a recovery in routine vaccination services post-COVID-19. Countries like Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Uganda have shown notable improvements.

Africa has also achieved significant progress against polio. There was a 93% reduction in circulating variant poliovirus type 1 cases from 2023 to 2024. Additionally, there was a 65% drop in these cases over the past year alone. More girls are now protected against cervical cancer as well. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage increased from 28% to 40% in 2023.

The "Big Catch-Up" initiative launched in 2023 has vaccinated over five million 'zero-dose' children—those who had not received any essential vaccines—across 20 priority countries by 2024. This effort aims to protect communities from outbreaks and strengthen national health systems.

Despite these advancements, challenges remain. One in four children is under-vaccinated while one in five remains unvaccinated. Many countries face recurring outbreaks of diseases like measles due to barriers such as limited healthcare access in remote areas affected by conflict and instability.

Thabani Maphosa from Gavi highlighted that African governments' unprecedented co-financing for vaccine programmes demonstrates their commitment. However, ongoing issues like conflict and natural disasters create conditions for outbreaks. Investing in immunisation is crucial for future protection.

Future Goals and Strategies

Gavi has introduced an ambitious five-year strategy called ‘Gavi 6.0’. It focuses on three main pillars: protecting against pandemics; vaccinating more children against more diseases; and reducing zero-dose children numbers. The goal is to reach 50 million children with the malaria vaccine by 2030.

The World Immunisation Week and African Vaccination Week aim to highlight immunisation's life-saving potential under the theme "Immunisation For All is Humanly Possible." Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu of WHO stated: "We have made great progress... But we still have more ground to cover."

The Immunisation Agenda 2030 aims to prevent diseases while promoting equity through strong immunisation programmes. Achieving full engagement across the Alliance for necessary funding will be critical for sustaining these efforts over the next few months.

With inputs from WAM