Africa: Vaccination Progress Helps Save Millions of Lives in African Region

Brazzaville / Geneva — Vaccine coverage in Africa is increasing. This helps protect millions from diseases like measles, polio, and cervical cancer. In 2023, vaccinations saved at least 1.8 million lives in Africa. This number is nearly half of the global total of 4.2 million. Government efforts and support from partners like Gavi and UNICEF made this possible.

Since 2024, over 5 million 'zero-dose' children have been vaccinated in Africa. These are children who have not received any essential vaccines. The "Big Catch-Up" initiative launched in 2023 aims to protect communities from outbreaks and strengthen health systems.

Despite a growing birth rate, immunization coverage has improved. Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) coverage among one-year-olds rose from 72% to 74%. This shows recovery in routine immunization services after COVID-19 disruptions. Countries like Cameroon, Chad, and Uganda saw notable gains.

More girls are now protected against cervical cancer as well. HPV vaccination coverage increased to 40% in 2023, up from 28% the previous year. This makes Africa the region with the second-highest HPV vaccination rate globally.

Africa has also made significant strides against polio. There was a 93% decline in circulating variant poliovirus type 1 cases from 2023 to 2024. Additionally, there was a 65% decrease in these cases over the past year.

World Immunization Week promotes the importance of vaccines for all ages. Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu of WHO noted progress but emphasized that more work is needed to sustain these efforts.

Challenges remain despite progress in vaccination rates. One in four children are under-vaccinated, missing key routine vaccines. One out of five children are completely unvaccinated, leading to outbreaks of diseases like measles.

Barriers include limited healthcare access due to conflict and instability, logistical issues, vaccine hesitancy fueled by misinformation, and insufficient funding for immunization programs.

Thabani Maphosa from Gavi highlighted that African governments' co-financing shows commitment but warned that momentum must continue despite challenges like conflict and natural disasters.

Gavi has launched a five-year strategy called 'Gavi 6.0.' It focuses on three pillars: protecting against pandemics; vaccinating more children; and reducing zero-dose children numbers.

Successful funding will help implement this strategy across African countries while maintaining progress towards Immunization Agenda 2030 goals.

To achieve these goals, governments must accelerate efforts to reduce zero-dose children and improve routine immunization coverage.

Key strategies include investing in health systems for effective vaccine delivery and enhancing outbreak response systems.

In addition, addressing vaccine hesitancy through education is crucial for improving vaccination rates.

In early 2024, Gavi launched the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA). This initiative aims to provide up to $1.2 billion over ten years for vaccine manufacturing expansion in Africa.