Geneva (Switzerland), April 25 (HBTV): Immunisation efforts are under threat due to misinformation, population growth, ongoing humanitarian crises, and funding cuts, placing millions of children, adolescents, and adults at risk, warned WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi during World Immunisation Week (April 24–30).

Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis, and yellow fever are rising globally. Diseases like diphtheria, which had been virtually eliminated in many countries, are also at risk of resurgence.

The three agencies are calling for urgent political attention and sustained investment to strengthen immunisation programmes and safeguard the progress made in reducing child mortality over the past 50 years.

‘Vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past five decades,’ said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. ‘Funding cuts to global health have put these hard-won gains in jeopardy. Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases are increasing around the world, putting lives at risk and exposing countries to increased costs in treating diseases and responding to outbreaks. Countries with limited resources must invest in the highest-impact interventions – and that includes vaccines.’

Measles is experiencing a particularly dangerous resurgence. The number of global measles cases has risen each year since 2021, corresponding with declines in immunisation coverage during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, measles cases reached an estimated 10.3 million – a 20% increase from 2022. This trend is expected to continue through 2024 and 2025, with 138 countries reporting cases in the past 12 months, and 61 facing large or disruptive outbreaks – the highest number since 2019.

Meningitis cases in Africa also surged in 2024 and continue rising into 2025. Between January and March 2025, over 5,500 suspected cases and nearly 300 deaths were reported across 22 countries. This followed approximately 26,000 cases and nearly 1,400 deaths in 24 countries in 2024.

Yellow fever cases have increased in the African region, with 124 confirmed cases reported across 12 countries in 2024. In the WHO Region of the Americas, yellow fever outbreaks have been confirmed in four countries, with 131 cases reported this year.

These outbreaks are occurring alongside global funding cuts. A recent WHO stocktake of 108 country offices – primarily in low- and lower-middle-income countries – found that nearly half are experiencing moderate to severe disruptions in vaccination campaigns, routine immunisation, and access to supplies. Disease surveillance, including for vaccine-preventable diseases, is also affected in over half of these countries.

The number of children missing routine vaccinations has continued to rise. In 2023, an estimated 14.5 million children missed all their routine vaccines – up from 13.9 million in 2022 and 12.9 million in 2019. More than half of these children live in countries experiencing conflict, fragility, or instability, where health services are often disrupted.

‘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. ‘Immunisation services, disease surveillance, and outbreak response in nearly 50 countries are already being disrupted, on par with the setbacks we saw during COVID-19. We cannot afford to lose ground in the fight against preventable disease.’

Continued investment in the Big Catch-Up initiative – launched in 2023 to reach children who missed vaccines during the pandemic – and other immunisation programmes will be essential.

Joint efforts by WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and partners have helped countries increase vaccine access and strengthen immunisation through primary healthcare, even amid rising challenges. Vaccines currently save about 4.2 million lives annually across 14 diseases, with nearly half of these in the African region.

Vaccination campaigns have also eliminated meningitis A in Africa’s meningitis belt. A new vaccine that protects against five meningitis strains shows promise for broader outbreak response and prevention.

Efforts to reduce yellow fever cases and deaths have been aided by routine immunisation coverage and emergency vaccine stockpiles, though recent outbreaks show vulnerabilities in areas with low coverage or gaps in preventive campaigns.

The past two years have also seen notable gains in other areas of immunisation. In Africa, where cervical cancer remains a major health burden, HPV vaccine coverage nearly doubled from 21% in 2020 to 40% in 2023. There has also been a rise in pneumococcal conjugate vaccine coverage, particularly in the South-East Asia Region, with new introductions in high-burden countries such as Chad and Somalia.

Additionally, nearly 20 African countries have introduced malaria vaccines at sub-national levels, laying the groundwork to save up to half a million lives by 2035 as adoption expands.

UNICEF, WHO, and Gavi are urging parents, the public, and policymakers to increase support for immunisation. The agencies emphasise the importance of continued investment in vaccine programmes and call on countries to uphold their commitments to the Immunisation Agenda 2030 (IA2030).

Integrated into primary healthcare systems, vaccination not only protects against disease but also connects families with other essential services such as antenatal care, nutrition, and malaria screening. Immunisation is considered one of the most cost-effective health interventions, delivering a return of USD 54 for every dollar invested and supporting broader health security and economic development.

‘Increasing outbreaks of highly infectious diseases are a concern for the whole world. The good news is we can fight back, and Gavi’s next strategic period has a clear plan to bolster our defences by expanding investments in global vaccine stockpiles and rolling out targeted preventive vaccination in countries most impacted by meningitis, yellow fever, and measles,’ said Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. ‘These vital activities, however, will be at risk if Gavi is not fully funded for the next five years and we call on our donors to support our mission in the interests of keeping everyone, everywhere, safer from preventable diseases.’

Gavi’s high-level pledging summit on June 25, 2025, aims to raise at least USD 9 billion from donors to support its strategy to protect 500 million children and save at least 8 million lives from 2026 to 2030.

(ANI)