Nigeria to benefit as WHO, Gates Foundation partner to reverse decline in childhood vaccination

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have partnered to reverse vaccination decline among children.

The WHO said on Monday that the partnership involves the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), GAVI, Immunisation Agenda 2030, and other global health partners.

The organisations are joining forces to call for ‘The Big Catch-up’ — which aims to reverse the decline in childhood vaccination recorded in over 100 countries since the pandemic, due to overburdened health services, closed clinics, and disrupted imports and exports of vials, syringes and other medical supplies.

“With over 25 million children missing at least one vaccination in 2021 alone, outbreaks of preventable diseases, including measles, diphtheria, polio and yellow fever are already becoming more prevalent and severe. The Big Catch-up aims to protect populations from vaccine-preventable outbreaks, save children’s lives and strengthen national health systems,” the statement reads.

“To ensure progress on childhood immunization, partners are working with countries to strengthen health care workforces, improve health service delivery, build trust and demand for vaccines within communities, and address gaps and obstacles to restoring immunization.

“In addition to catching-up on childhood immunization, intensified efforts are needed to introduce the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to adolescents to prevent cervical cancer, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the burden is highest.”

The WHO called on governments in every country to play their part in helping to catch up by reaching the children who missed out.

‘The Big Catch-up’ is expected to focus on the 20 countries where three-quarters of the children missed vaccinations.

The countries are Afghanistan, Angola, Brazil, Cameroon, Chad, DPRK, DRC, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, Madagascar, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Tanzania, Vietnam.

Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said catching up is a top priority as no child should die of a vaccine-preventable disease.

“Millions of children and adolescents, particularly in lower-income countries, have missed out on life-saving vaccinations, while outbreaks of these deadly diseases have risen. WHO is supporting dozens of countries to restore immunization and other essential health services,” he said.