Immunization is the most cost effective public health discovery and one of the greatest medical achievements of the 20th century saving more lives than any other health intervention. It is estimated that immunization against vaccine preventable diseases saves over two million lives each year.
There are currently more than 25 vaccine-preventable diseases and the number of diseases that can be prevented by vaccines is growing. Advances in biomedical research, science and technology are making this possible. Vaccines thus provide an effective, economic and practical way of preventing disease and disability, and promoting health and well being. Immunisation protects not only the individual but also the wider community by reducing the probability of the transmission of infection in the community.
Major vaccine success stories
The introduction of immunization programs worldwide has resulted in significant accomplishments. These include:
- Smallpox eradication. In 1977 Smallpox was eradicated after a ten year campaign carried out by the WHO. When the program began, smallpox threatened 60% of the world's population and killed every fourth person infected.
- Virtual eradication of poliomyelitis.
Poliovirus infections have fallen by more than 99% (see graph below) and some 5 million people have escaped paralysis since the launch by WHO and its partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988. Polio has been eradicated in the western hemisphere and many other countries have been declared polio free. As at the end of 2008 polio was endemic in only 4 countries in the world. For more information visit the following website: http://www.polioeradication.org/
- Measles under control and elimination on track.
The WHO reported that measles deaths worldwide fell by a remarkable 74% between 2000 and 2007 from an estimated 750000 to 195000 (see graph below). In Africa the measles mortality declined by 91%. From 2000 to 2007, globally approximately 3.6 million deaths were averted as a result of accelerated immunization activities, both increases in routine coverage and implementation of measles campaigns. Measles has been eliminated in the Western Hemisphere. For more information visit the following website: http://www.measlesinitiative.org/
- Vaccine coverage
Vaccine coverage has greatly increased since WHO's Expanded Programme on Immunization began in 1974. In 2008, global DTP3 (three doses of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis combination vaccine) coverage was 82% — up from 20% in 1980. In addition, in 2008, more than 106 million children under the age of one were vaccinated with three doses of the combined vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough worldwide.
Unprotected children
However, despite these tremendous advances it is estimated that 23.5 million children still don't have access to basic immunization services including 7.8 million in sub-Saharan Africa (see figure below). Those who miss out on routine vaccination programmes tend to be people living in remote locations, urban slums and border areas. They also include indigenous groups, displaced populations, those lacking access to vaccination because of various social barriers, those lacking awareness or motivation to be vaccinated and those who refuse to be vaccinated.
Figure. 23.5 million infants not immunized in 2008
The vaccine gap
Most children in Africa have access to only 6 (the original EPI vaccines) or in some instances 8 vaccines. In contrast a child born in a developed country such as the USA has access to over 16 vaccines. The gap is widening – see adjacent figure.
The consequence of not having access to vaccines or not being immunized results in between two and about three million people dying each year from vaccine preventable diseases (see table below )
Deaths from Vaccine Preventable Disease - WHO Global Immunization Report 2008
The need
There is an urgent need to reduce morbidity and mortality from vaccine preventable diseases by:
increasing awareness of the benefits of vaccines and promoting the uptake of traditional and new vaccines in Africa,
increasing coverage of existing traditional EPI vaccines, and
advocating for the inclusion of new vaccines in EPI programmes.
VACFA’s vision is an Africa free of vaccine preventable diseases. We hope that this website will assist in meeting this goal.