ARE VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASES RISING?

What has WHO, UNICEF and Gavi warned? Why are vaccination schedules being missed? Why is there a threat to immunisation efforts? What are world leaders being advised to do? What happened during the pandemic? What is the status in India?

- 

The story so far: Diseases that can be prevented through vaccination, such as measles, meningitis, and yellow fever, are re-emerging, world health leaders have warned, because millions of children are missing vaccinations due to funding cuts and disruption in immunisation programmes. The World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Gavi have issued a joint warning stating that immunisation efforts are also being threatened by widespread misinformation, population growth and humanitarian crises. They urged leaders around the world to strengthen vaccination programmes and give the issue their “urgent and sustained political attention.”

What set alarm bells ringing?

A recent WHO rapid stock take with 108 of its country offices mostly in lowand lower-middle-income countries showed that nearly half of those countries are facing moderate to severe disruptions in vaccination campaigns, routine immunisation, and access to supplies due to reduced donor funding. Disease surveillance, including for vaccine-preventable diseases, has also been impacted in more than half the countries surveyed.