Immunisation efforts are increasingly under threat as a result of misinformation, rapid population growth, ongoing humanitarian crises, and significant funding cuts, leaving millions of children, adolescents, and adults vulnerable, according to a joint warning from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

The three organizations issued the statement on Thursday to mark World Immunisation Week, which runs from April 24 to 30.

The agencies pointed out that vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, meningitis, and yellow fever are making a troubling resurgence globally. Diseases such as diphtheria, which had been largely eliminated or minimized in many countries, are now at risk of re-emerging.

To address these challenges, WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi are urgently calling for enhanced political commitment and long-term investments to bolster immunisation programmes. They stress the need to safeguard the significant progress made in reducing child mortality over the last 50 years.

“Vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives in the past five decades,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus. “However, cuts in global health funding threaten these hard-won gains. As outbreaks of preventable diseases rise, lives are at risk, and countries face increased costs in dealing with these outbreaks. Nations with limited resources must prioritize high-impact interventions, including vaccines.”

The report highlights the alarming rise in measles cases, with numbers surging year-on-year since 2021, following declines in immunisation coverage during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the number of measles cases reached an estimated 10.3 million, a 20% increase compared to 2022. The trend is expected to continue into 2024 and 2025, as outbreaks intensify globally. In the past year, 138 countries reported measles cases, with 61 experiencing large or disruptive outbreaks—the highest in any 12-month period since 2019.

Meningitis cases in Africa also sharply increased in 2024, continuing into 2025. In the first three months of 2025, more than 5,500 suspected cases and nearly 300 deaths were reported across 22 countries. Last year, Africa saw around 26,000 cases and almost 1,400 deaths across 24 countries.

Yellow fever cases are also on the rise in Africa, with 124 confirmed cases across 12 countries in 2024. This follows significant declines in the disease over the past decade, thanks to global vaccine stockpiles and routine immunisation programmes. The Americas also reported outbreaks in early 2025, with 131 confirmed cases in four countries.

The agencies highlighted that these outbreaks coincide with a global funding crisis. A recent WHO rapid stocktake, which surveyed 108 countries, mostly low- and middle-income, revealed that nearly half are facing significant disruptions in vaccination campaigns, routine immunisation, and access to supplies due to reduced donor funding. Surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases has also been impacted in more than half of the countries surveyed.

The number of children missing routine vaccinations has been steadily rising in recent years, even as efforts are underway to catch up with those who missed vaccines during the pandemic.

“The global funding crisis is severely hampering 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 disrupted, with setbacks akin to what we saw during COVID-19. We cannot afford to lose ground in the fight against preventable diseases.”

Despite these challenges, joint efforts by WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and other partners continue to expand vaccine access and strengthen immunisation systems, even in the face of mounting difficulties. Vaccines save an estimated 4.2 million lives annually across 14 diseases, with nearly half of these lives saved in Africa.

The agencies are calling on parents, the public, and politicians to renew their support for immunisation and to maintain their commitments to the Immunisation Agenda 2030.

Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, emphasized the urgency of increasing investments in vaccine stockpiles and targeted preventive vaccination in countries most affected by meningitis, yellow fever, and measles. However, she warned that these vital activities would be at risk without full funding for Gavi's programs over the next five years.

Gavi's upcoming high-level pledging summit, scheduled for June 25, 2025, aims to raise at least $9 billion from donors to support an ambitious strategy to protect 500 million children and save at least 8 million lives between 2026 and 2030.


(Wafric News)