In a bold and urgent appeal, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday called upon countries in the South-East Asia Region to accelerate their efforts in ensuring that all children receive life-saving vaccines under the childhood immunisation programme.
The organization stressed the importance of focusing on those who have missed all or some doses and underscored the need to protect all adolescent girls from cervical cancer through immunisation.
This renewed call to action comes amid concerns over stagnated progress in vaccine coverage following the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Call for a Big Catch-Up in Immunisation
Speaking at the 15th meeting of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (SEAR-ITAG), Saima Wazed, the Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia, highlighted the urgency of catching up on lost ground in childhood immunisation.
“We should aim for a big catch-up to vaccinate all zero-dose and partially-vaccinated children, and restore the immunisation progress lost during the pandemic.
Additionally, we must protect all adolescent girls from cervical cancer and accelerate efforts to eliminate measles and rubella from WHO South-East Asia by 2026,” Wazed stated during her inaugural address.
The call to action also marks the 50th anniversary of the expanded immunisation programme, which has been instrumental in improving public health outcomes in the region.
Wazed acknowledged the contributions of various stakeholders, including experts, national programme managers, immunisation champions, partners, vaccinators, community workers, and the communities themselves, in making these achievements possible.
“In the last 50 years, immunisation programmes have helped hundreds of millions of people in our region live healthier, longer, more productive, and prosperous lives,” she said.
Challenges in Post-Pandemic Recovery
Despite the successes of the past, the region faces significant challenges in post-pandemic recovery, particularly in restoring childhood immunisation coverage to pre-pandemic levels.
The WHO-UNICEF Estimates of National Immunisation Coverage data, released last month, highlighted slow progress in this area, with no meaningful change in coverage last year compared to 2022.
Wazed pointed out that the region had missed its target to eliminate measles and rubella by 2023, a setback attributed to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Nearly 2.7 million children in our region did not receive any vaccine, and another 0.6 million children were partially vaccinated in 2023,” Wazed reported. She emphasized the importance of understanding the reasons behind these missed vaccinations and prioritizing efforts to reach these children as soon as possible.
“No child should ever fall sick or die of any vaccine-preventable disease when safe and effective vaccines exist to protect them,” she stressed.
The stagnation in immunisation recovery highlights the need for innovative approaches tailored to local contexts. Wazed called for enhanced political and social leadership to drive the intensified actions needed to meet regional immunisation targets.
“We need to find locally impactful approaches and most critically, enhance the political and social leadership that are the basis for intensified actions needed to meet our regional targets,” she added.
Prioritizing Investment in Women, Girls, and Vulnerable Populations
One of the key priorities in Wazed’s Regional Roadmap for Results and Resilience is reaffirming investment in women, girls, adolescents, and vulnerable populations. In line with this priority, Wazed urged countries to ensure that all adolescent girls in the region receive at least one dose of the HPV vaccine to protect them from cervical cancer.
This focus on adolescent girls is part of a broader strategy to address gender disparities in health outcomes and ensure that vulnerable populations receive the care they need.
Revitalising immunisation programmes and strengthening community-centered health systems are crucial components of this strategy. Wazed also emphasized the importance of ensuring vaccine supply and boosting demand through community engagement.
Policy and resources should urgently prioritize routine immunisation, particularly for measles, and focus on reducing the number of zero-dose and partially-vaccinated children, she said.
The WHO’s call to action underscores the critical need for renewed efforts in South-East Asia to ensure that every child and adolescent is protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. As the region reflects on the achievements of the past 50 years, it must also confront the challenges of the present and future.
By prioritizing investment in immunisation programmes, engaging communities, and strengthening health systems, countries in the South-East Asia Region can work together to build a healthier, more resilient future for all.
