Vaccination saves around 4 million lives around the world each year, but that remains well short of global targets.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated nearly 4.2 million deaths were averted by vaccination against 14 diseases in 2023, but this fell short of the target of nearly 4.6 million deaths.
The latest Immunisation Agenda 2030 (IA2030) Global Progress Report found more than three out of four deaths averted resulted from preventing measles, hepatitis B and pertussis infections.
In a statement, WHO said under the Immunisation Agenda countries aimed to avert 50 million deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases between 2021 and 2030.
“However, the report reveals more deaths could be averted if more low- and middle-income countries introduce new or under-utilized vaccines and increase coverage for vaccines against measles, human papillomavirus (HPV), meningitis A, hepatitis B and yellow fever,” WHO stated.
It stated the report also found millions of zero-dose children − those who have never received a single vaccine − remained beyond the reach of health systems and weak supply chains complicated delivery.
“In 2023, there were 14.5 million zero-dose children globally, 33 percent more than the 2023 target.
“Overall, global vaccination coverage is stalling, with immunization programs only reaching 84 percent of children globally with the third dose of vaccine protecting against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP3).”
WHO stated that global outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases were increasing, rather than decreasing as called for in IA2030.
“In 2023, there were 109 large or disruptive outbreaks of measles, circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV), cholera and meningococcal disease, an 43 percent increase over the 2021 baseline.”
