April 28, 2023: Unicef disclosed that children were missing out entirely or partially on routine immunisation. What are these immunisations? Continue reading to learn more!
State of the World’s Children 2023: For Every Child, Vaccination—Regional Brief: Eastern and Southern Africa was issued late Thursday, where it mentioned immunisation being one of humanity’s most remarkable success stories that has indeed saved countless lives.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that 12 million (1.2 crore) children from Eastern and Southern Africa as well as globally, about 67 million (6.7 crore) children, have missed out entirely or partially on routine immunisation from 2919 to 2021.
Immunisation has led to the eradication of smallpox (a disfiguring, often fatal disease that claimed an estimated 30 crore lives in the 20th century), and it has allowed children from everywhere to live lives free of many forms of disability and illness. The power of immunisation was demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic as well, and there has been remarkable progress towards eradicating polio.
The error in immunisation highlighted the story of injustice regarding the zero-dose (it refers to the children who have not received a single dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine DTP1) and the under-vaccinated (refers to the vaccination of significantly less than the proportion of a population that should be vaccinated) children.
Unicef mentioned, "The children who are not vaccinated are also often the children of mothers who have not been able to go to school and who are given little say in family and spending decisions." It will require a dedicated effort to ensure that the children catch up with their vaccinations as they pass the age when vaccines are routinely given.
According to Unicef, immunisation is at the heart of their collective commitment in order to achieve a better and more sustainable future for everyone because immunisation is a key to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims at ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.