<\/p>\n
Speaking at the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly, Director of the Department of Immunisation, Vaccines and Biologicals at the World Health Organisation Kate O\u2019Brien, said countries have reaffirmed their support for the Immunisation Agenda 2030 strategy.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The initiative aims to ensure that vaccines reach all populations, recognising immunisation as one of the most cost-effective and equitable public health interventions.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Brien said vaccines are central not only to disease prevention but also to strengthening health systems and improving preparedness for future health emergencies. However, progress remains uneven, with routine immunisation coverage slipping in many countries and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases increasing.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The WHO highlighted growing challenges, including misinformation, conflict, climate pressures and funding constraints, which are leaving more children unvaccinated. These gaps are particularly evident among so-called \u201czero-dose\u201d children, who have little or no access to routine health services.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Efforts such as The Big Catch-Up have helped countries recover from disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching children who missed vaccinations while also strengthening primary healthcare systems. However, O\u2019Brien said recovery alone is not enough, stressing the need to reach chronically underserved populations and rebuild trust in vaccines.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Recent data has also shown the impact of new vaccines. The rollout of the RTS,S malaria vaccine in countries including Ghana, Kenya and Malawi has contributed to significant reductions in child mortality, with evidence suggesting that one in eight deaths among eligible children has been prevented. With 25 African countries now introducing malaria vaccines, the impact is expected to grow further.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
At the same time, efforts are underway to accelerate development of new tuberculosis vaccines, with global partners working to improve financing, access and readiness ahead of expected trial results.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
O\u2019Brien said equity must remain at the centre of immunisation efforts, with countries needing to invest in reaching vulnerable communities and strengthening routine systems. Sustained political commitment, financing and partnerships, along with public trust in health systems, will be critical to achieving global targets by 2030.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–WHO\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":35380,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-36700","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Global health leaders are calling for renewed urgency in expanding access to vaccines, warning that progress toward global immunisation goals remains fragile despite strong political commitments.","published_date":"","news_description":"Global health leaders are calling for renewed urgency in expanding access to vaccines, warning that progress toward global immunisation goals remains fragile despite strong political commitments.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/36700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/36700\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36701,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/36700\/revisions\/36701"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=36700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}