- The pandemic saw essential immunization levels decline in more than 100 countries.
- ‘The Big Catch-up’ is an extended effort to raise vaccination levels among children to at least pre-pandemic levels and strives to exceed them.
- Led by a wide range of national and global health partners, The Big Catch-up also aims to ensure stronger primary health care services for essential immunization in the future.
WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with the Immunization 2030 Agenda and many other national and global health partners, join forces today to call for “The Great Recovery,” a dedicated global effort. to boost vaccination among children after declines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This effort aims to reverse the declines in childhood vaccination recorded in more than 100 countries since the pandemic, due to the overload of health services, the closure of clinics and the interruption of imports and exports of vials, syringes and other medical supplies. Meanwhile, communities and families experienced lockdowns, restricting travel and access to services, and limited human and financial resources along with access to health products, due to the emergency response. Ongoing challenges such as conflict, climate shocks, and uncertainties about vaccines also contributed to declining coverage rates.
With more than 25 million children missing at least one vaccine in 2021 alone, outbreaks of preventable diseases such as measles, diphtheria, polio and yellow fever are already becoming more frequent and serious. The Big Catch-up aims to protect populations from vaccine-preventable outbreaks, save children’s lives, and strengthen national health systems.
Calling on people and governments in all countries to play their part in helping catch up by reaching children who didn’t get vaccinated, The Big Catch-up will have a particular focus on the 20 countries where three-quarters portions of children not vaccinated in 2021 live*.
Although global coverage levels have declined, there have also been bright spots of resilience. For example, early reports indicate that India experienced a strong recovery in essential immunization in 2022, while Uganda maintained high levels of coverage throughout the pandemic. Countries have also been successful in reaching groups in vulnerable situations. In Kenya, for example, collaborations with community health workers and local leaders have improved immunization levels among nomadic populations in the north of the country.
To ensure progress in childhood immunization, partners are working with countries to strengthen the healthcare workforce, improve healthcare delivery, build trust and demand for vaccines within communities, and address gaps and barriers. to restore immunization. In addition to catching up with childhood immunization, there is a need to intensify efforts to introduce the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in adolescents to prevent cervical cancer, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the load is higher.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Millions of children and adolescents, particularly in low-income countries, have missed out on life-saving vaccines, while outbreaks of these deadly diseases have increased. “WHO is supporting dozens of countries to restore immunization and other essential health services. Catching up is a top priority. No child should die of a vaccine-preventable disease.”
“Routine immunizations are often a child’s first entry into their healthcare system, and therefore children who do not receive their first immunizations are at additional risk of being left without long-term care,” said the Executive Director. for UNICEF, Catherine Russell. “The longer we wait to reach and vaccinate these children, the more vulnerable they become and the greater the risk of more deadly disease outbreaks. Countries, global partners and local communities must come together to strengthen services, build trust and save lives.”
“We cannot allow the legacy of the pandemic to ruin many years of work protecting more and more children from preventable and deadly diseases,” said Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “Global health partners, in collaboration with governments and communities, must do everything possible to protect the lives of all children.”
“Vaccines are a public health triumph,” said Dr. Chris Elias, president of Global Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “The incredible progress that has been made in ending polio and reducing the incidence of infectious disease is the direct result of thousands of dedicated global partners and local health workers who have worked to immunize millions of children. We must do more to reach all children with the vaccines they need to live healthier lives and ensure that future generations live free of preventable diseases like polio.”
Notes to editors
For more information on The Big Catch-up, visit the WHO website. pagehe interactive site on UNICEF’s recently released State of the World’s Children report, and the center of partner content for World Immunization Week.
*The 20 countries where three quarters of children who did not get vaccinated in 2021 live are: Afghanistan, Angola, Brazil, Cameroon, Chad, DPRK, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, Madagascar, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Tanzania, Vietnam.
About the World Health Organization
Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere the same chance for a safe and healthy life. We are the UN health agency connecting nations, partners and people on the front lines in more than 150 locations, leading the global response to health emergencies, preventing disease, addressing the root causes of health problems and expanding access. to drugs and medical care. Our mission is to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable. www.who.int
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. In more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for all.
To learn more about UNICEF and its work, visit: www.unicef.org
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About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. Since its creation in 2000, Gavi has helped immunize an entire generation – more than 981 million children – and prevented more than 16.2 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 73 low-income countries. income. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other private sector partners. To understand how the pandemic has impacted essential immunization in Gavi-supported countries, read our analysis on the state of routine immunization. Learn more at gavi.org and connect with us atFacebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and instagram.
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that all lives are of equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy and productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people, especially those with fewer resources, have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and in life. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.
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