Global Courant 2023-04-28 17:01:54
African leaders must not allow children to miss out on life-saving vaccinations.
On the occasion of World Immunization Week, UNICEF released The State of the World’s Children 2023: For Every Child, Vaccination last week reportsending a red alert about the steep drop in routine childhood vaccination coverage following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vaccines have proven to be one of the most successful public health interventions to control the deadliest infections, but in East and Southern Africa we have seen a 6 percent drop in childhood vaccination coverage compared to pre -COVID times, with more than 4.6 million children missing life-saving vaccines in the last three years, especially the marginalized and poorest.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated a lack of resilience and persistent shortcomings in primary health care in Africa. Even before the pandemic hit, far too many countries suffered from a lack of skilled health workers, limited access to essential supplies and equipment, a weak capacity to collect and use data and conduct disease surveillance, shortages at the local level of key medicines and vaccines, and obstacles to efficient and effective use of available resources. Amidst that already dire situation, catch-up and recovery efforts are now urgently needed to vaccinate missed children and halt the decline.
Vaccination is not only a health problem, it is also a political, socio-economic and gender problem that requires both political and economic solutions. UNICEF is calling on African leaders across the region to act now and take strong political action to close the vaccine gap and ensure that all children are immunized and protected. The right policy decisions and increased budget allocations for primary health care for children, including immunization, in underserved communities in Africa can boost our efforts for a healthier, safer and more prosperous continent.
The consequences of not vaccinating children could become more serious in the coming years. The recent resurgence of measles, cholera and polio virus in Africa is a warning that we need to step up our efforts. Change will be too slow if we don’t muster the political will to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases. More conscious efforts to invest in sustainable and resilient routine immunization programs will save the lives of millions of children.
In addition to the moral imperative to do what is best for each child, investing in immunization is also based on the realization that it makes economic sense. Despite shrinking national budgets in some countries, immunization should remain a priority as it is a proven strategy to reduce future healthcare costs and support economic growth.
While Africa can and must do more to improve vaccination, the global community also has a responsibility to make a concerted effort to align its support with national priorities and promote homegrown solutions that are culturally sensitive and responsive to needs of communities. The days of one-size-fits-all solutions are over – it’s time to invest in health interventions that address the socio-economic needs of children and their carers. Donors can support by moving from disease-specific initiatives to system strengthening. We need to find innovative ways to educate healthcare providers, especially fathers, and promote their involvement in routine immunization.
Vaccinating all children on the continent requires a strong commitment from governments. Political leaders must be ready for the sometimes tough funding talks and challenging compromises over how best to fund primary health care and immunization and how to make them more resilient to future shocks. For nearly 80 years, UNICEF has been working in Africa with governments and many other partners to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases. Our journey to save lives must continue hand in hand with our government counterparts.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial view of Al Jazeera.
