Falling vaccine coverage brings back preventable diseases
Why in the news
WHO, UNICEF and Gavi jointly warned that falling immunisation is bringing back preventable diseases.
Key facts
- Causes: coverage drops, lower donor funding, disrupted supply chains, misinformation, crises and population growth.
- WHO’s 108-country survey: nearly 50% report moderate to severe campaign disruption; over half have weaker surveillance.
- Over half of unvaccinated children live in fragile or conflict-hit regions.
- US measles cases: 935 by May 1, 2025, triple the 2024 level.
| Year | Children missing all routine vaccines |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 12.9 million |
| 2022 | 13.9 million |
| 2023 | 14.5 million |
Value of vaccination (WHO)
- $54 returned per $1 spent.
- 154 million lives saved in 50 years; 4.2 million deaths prevented yearly.
India’s record
- UIP targets 26 million newborns and 34 million pregnant women yearly.
- Polio-free in 2014; tetanus eliminated in 2015.
- NFHS-5 (2019-21): 76.1% full immunisation, so 1 in 4 children miss vaccines.
Way forward
- Strengthen the Big Catch-Up; commit to Immunisation Agenda 2030.
- Gavi’s June 25, 2025 summit seeks $9 billion to protect 500 million children in 2026-2030.
Exam angle
- Agencies: WHO, UNICEF, Gavi.
- Programme: Universal Immunization Programme.