Countries in the South-East Asia Region have been praised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for their efforts in scaling up routine immunization coverage. The WHO has called on member countries to continue their work in identifying unvaccinated children and implementing tailored strategies to reach every child with lifesaving routine immunization vaccines.
The organization specifically emphasized the need to target the 2.3 million unvaccinated children and 650,000 partially vaccinated children. The goal is to ensure that every child is protected against life-threatening diseases through routine immunization.
According to the WHO and UNICEF estimates, the coverage rate for the third dose of diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT3) vaccines in the South-East Asia Region has recovered to 91% in 2022, a significant increase from 82% in 2021. Similarly, the coverage of measles-containing vaccines has improved by 6%, moving from 86% in 2021 to 92% in 2022.
The number of zero-dose children, those who haven’t received even the first dose of the DPT vaccine, has halved from 4.6 million in 2021 to 2.3 million in 2022. Additionally, the number of partially vaccinated children has decreased from 1.3 million in 2021 to 650,000 in 2022, marking a 50% decline.
The South-East Asia Region has achieved the best immunization recoveries among all WHO regions, largely due to the efforts of countries like India and Indonesia. India recorded a DPT3 coverage rate of 93% in 2022, surpassing the pre-pandemic high of 91% in 2019. Indonesia’s coverage rate recovered to 85%, the same as in 2019 but a sharp increase from 67% in 2021.
Countries like Bhutan and the Maldives have also surpassed their pre-pandemic immunization rates, with DPT3 coverage rates of 98% and 99% respectively. Bangladesh and Thailand have demonstrated consistency in routine immunization coverage throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, with coverage rates of 98% and 97%.
While overall immunization coverage levels in the South-East Asia Region are looking promising, there are still variabilities in coverage at sub-national levels, especially in countries with large populations. These coverage gaps can lead to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and diphtheria. The WHO emphasizes the importance of closing these gaps and ensuring equitable immunization coverage for all children.
As efforts continue to recover and scale up routine immunization coverage, it is crucial to learn from the pandemic and strengthen capacities to respond to future health emergencies. The WHO stresses that much has been achieved but much more needs to be done to protect every child and prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.
In conclusion, the WHO applauds countries in the South-East Asia Region for their efforts in scaling up routine immunization coverage. However, the focus must remain on identifying unvaccinated children, strengthening healthcare workforce capacities, engaging with vulnerable populations, and tailoring strategies to reach every child with lifesaving routine immunization vaccines. By closing coverage gaps, the region can ensure the health and well-being of all children.
