The World Health Organisation (WHO) has shown that an estimated 33 million children will need to be vaccinated in Africa between 2023 and 2025 to put the continent back on track to achieve the 2030 global immunisation goals that include reducing morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases.
The WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, stated this Tuesday in her message to celebrate this year’s African Vaccination Week and World Immunisation Week, from 24–30 April, with the theme “The Big Catch-Up.”
“This is a global push by WHO and partners to intensify efforts to reach children, who missed vaccinations, as well as to restore and strengthen routine immunisation programmes.
The statement which was read by the WHO Nigeria Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Molumbo, at Medial Round Table in Abuja, states that Nigeria also estimates in 2019 to 2021, 6.2million children are zero dose; a consequence of the negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
“WHO has prioritised technical support for Zero Dose agenda and the Big Catch-up” in all state and LGAs.
“The proactiveness of the government of Nigeria and the National Primary Health Care Agency for implementing the Optimized Outreach Sessions, integration of Routine Immunization during COVID-19 vaccination, Measles and Yellow Fever Supplementary Immunization Activities.”
He noted that the plan to introduce malaria vaccine in routine immunisation and Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) in 2023 and 2024 are commendable as it aligns with establishing a life-course platform for immunisation for optimum dividend from vaccination.