Are vaccine-preventable diseases rising?

• World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Gavi have issued a joint warning about the re-emergence of diseases like measles, meningitis, and yellow fever due to funding cuts and disruptions in immunisation programs.

• The warning cites widespread misinformation, population growth, and humanitarian crises as threats to immunisation efforts.

• WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi urge leaders worldwide to strengthen vaccination programs and give the issue urgent political attention.

• A recent WHO rapid stock take showed nearly half of low- and lower-middle-income countries are facing disruptions in vaccination campaigns, routine immunisation, and access to supplies due to reduced donor funding.

• The number of children missing routine vaccinations has been increasing, with an estimated 14.5 million children missing all their routine vaccine doses in 2023.

• WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the need for countries with limited resources to invest in the highest-impact interventions, including vaccines.

• WHO states that immunisation is a ‘best buy’ in health with a return on investment of $54 for every dollar invested and provides a foundation for future prosperity and health security.

• India has reaped the benefits of immunisation and improved health care, with the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) aiming to provide lifesaving vaccines to millions of newborns and pregnant women each year.

• The WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi urge parents, the public, and politicians to strengthen support for immunisation and to honour their commitments to the Immunisation Agenda 2030.