Celebrating progress and addressing challenges in global vaccine equity

The World Immunisation Week 2024 is being observed during April 24 to 30. The global vaccine drives of the second half of the 20th century are one of humanity's greatest achievements. Immunisation campaigns have enabled us to eradicate smallpox, nearly defeat polio, and ensure more children survive and thrive than ever before.

This year, World Immunisation Week will celebrate 50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), recognising our collective efforts to save and improve countless lives from vaccine-preventable diseases and calling on countries to ramp up investments in immunisation programmes to protect the next generation.

 In just five decades, the world went from one where the death of a child was something many parents feared to one where every child, if vaccinated, has a chance to survive and thrive.

At its inception in 1974, the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) focused on protecting all children against six childhood illnesses, but today, this number has grown to 13 universally recommended vaccines across the lifecourse and 17 additional vaccines with context-dependent recommendations. With the expansion of the vaccination programme across the life course, we now call it the Essential Programme on Immunisation.

In the last few years of the pandemic, progress on immunisation has slipped. Despite a global vaccination increase of over 4 million children in 2022 compared to 2021, 20 million children still missed out on one or more vaccines. Growing conflicts, economic downturns, and a rise in vaccine hesitancy are some of the threats to efforts to reach these children.

As a result, the world is experiencing sudden diphtheria and measles outbreaks. While global vaccine coverage is good, with 4 out of 5 kids fully covered, we have more to do.

We can make it possible for everyone to benefit from the life-saving power of vaccines.

Let us make this possible by ensuring vaccines are high on the priority list for governments in all countries.

Advocating for vaccines is an integral part of health care planning and investment throughout life. It is crucial to ensure that all countries have appropriate funding and resources for vaccination programmes.

Accelerating research and innovation to enhance vaccine access and support is also important. We have to speak out on the impact of vaccinations locally, nationally, and globally.

In conclusion, the journey of immunisation over the past 50 years has been a testament to human resilience and dedication. Despite remarkable achievements, significant challenges remain in ensuring universal access to vaccines.

Moving forward, it is crucial to prioritise vaccines on governmental agendas, integrate them into comprehensive healthcare planning, secure adequate funding, accelerate research and innovation, and amplify the voices of those impacted by vaccinations.

The vision of immunisation for all is not merely an aspiration but a fundamental necessity for global health equity. It requires sustained commitment and action from all stakeholders to ensure that every individual, regardless of circumstance, has the opportunity to benefit from the life-saving power of vaccines.

Source: World Health Organisation