2023-04-24 20:07:03
Under the slogan “The Big Catch-Up”, the World Health Organization (OMS) and its partners will help countries get back on track so that more children and adults are protected from preventable diseases.
Nurses work at a mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Rofunta, Sierra Leone, in December 2022.
Decline in vaccination
The pandemic has caused essential immunization levels to drop in more than 100 countries, leading to increased outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, polio and yellow fever. An estimated 25 million children were missed in 2021 alone.
The decline in immunization has been fueled by factors such as overburdened health services, closed clinics and disruptions in the import and export of medical supplies such as syringes and vials.
At the same time, communities and families experienced lockdowns, which restricted movement and access to health services, while financial and human resources were limited as governments responded to the emergency. The WHO also pointed to other contributing factors such as conflict, the climate crisis and vaccine hesitancy.
World Immunization Week runs until Sunday and WHO has partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and many other global and international partners.
Strengthening of services
They work with countries to strengthen the health workforce, improve health service delivery, build trust and demand for vaccines within communities, and address gaps and barriers to restoring immunization.
The ultimate goal is to ensure that more children, adults and their communities are protected once morest vaccine-preventable diseases, allowing them to live happier and healthier lives.
Particular attention will be paid to the 20 countries that are home to three quarters of the children who were not vaccinated in 2021, namely Afghanistan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Somalia and Burma.
The WHO is also using the week to highlight successful vaccination campaigns underway in several countries, as well as some “bright spots of resilience”, such as India, which has seen a strong recovery in essential vaccination l last year, according to initial reports. Uganda has also maintained high coverage levels during the pandemic.
Imminent risks
Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, highlighted the need to come together to strengthen services, build trust and save lives.
“Routine vaccinations are usually a child’s first entry into their healthcare system and therefore children who miss their first vaccinations are at additional risk of being excluded from long-term healthcare,” she said. declared.
“The longer we wait to reach and vaccinate these children, the more vulnerable they become and the greater the risk of deadly outbreaks.”
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