Groundbreaking research highlights the power of vaccination

A major landmark study published in The Lancet finds that global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives over the past 50 years, or six lives every minute every year. has become clear. The majority of lives saved (101 million) were infants.

The study, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), is the single largest health intervention of all to ensure that babies not only reach their first birthday but continue to live healthy lives into adulthood. Contribution is shown to be vaccination.

Of the vaccines included in the study, measles vaccination had the greatest impact on reducing infant mortality, accounting for 60% of lives saved by vaccination. This vaccine is likely to continue to make the greatest contribution to preventing deaths.

Over the past 50 years, 14 diseases (diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, measles, meningitis A, pertussis, invasive pneumococcal disease, polio, rotavirus, rubella, tetanus, tuberculosis, Vaccinations against yellow fever have been administered. It has directly contributed to reducing infant mortality rates by 40% worldwide and by more than 50% in the African region.

“Vaccines are one of the most powerful inventions in history, making once feared diseases preventable,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Thanks to vaccines, smallpox has been eradicated, polio is on the brink, and recent developments in vaccines for diseases such as malaria and cervical cancer are pushing us to the frontiers of disease. With continued research, investment and collaboration, we can save millions more lives now and over the next 50 years.”

The study found that each life saved by vaccination resulted in an average of 66 years of perfect health, for a total of 10.2 billion years of perfect health over 50 years. As a result of vaccination against polio, more than 20 million people who would otherwise be paralyzed are able to walk today, and the world is on the verge of eradicating polio completely.

These improvements in child survival are critical to preserving immunization progress around the world and accelerating efforts to reach the 67 million children who have missed out on one or more vaccines during the pandemic. is highlighted.

A monumental effort to increase access to vaccination for 50 years

Released ahead of 50^th To mark the anniversary of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), scheduled for May 2024, this study provides the most comprehensive analysis of the program's global and regional health impacts over the past 50 years. It is.

Established by the World Health Assembly in 1974, EPI's original goal was to provide all vaccines for diphtheria, measles, pertussis, polio, tetanus, tuberculosis, and smallpox, the only human disease ever eradicated. It was to vaccinate children. This program is now called the Essential Program on Immunization and includes universal recommendations for vaccination against 13 diseases and context-specific recommendations for another 17 diseases. Expanding vaccination coverage beyond children to include adolescents and adults.

This study highlights that at the time EPI was launched, fewer than 5% of infants worldwide were receiving routine immunizations. Currently, 84% of infants are protected with three doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine, a global indicator of immunization coverage.

Of the estimated 154 million lives saved since 1974, nearly 94 million were the result of protection from measles vaccines. However, in 2022, 33 million children will still miss the measles vaccine, with about 22 million missing the first dose and a further 11 million missing the second dose.

To protect communities from epidemics, coverage of at least 95% with two doses of measles-containing vaccines is required. Currently, the global first vaccination rate for measles vaccine is 83% and the second vaccination rate is 74%, and there are a large number of outbreaks occurring around the world.

To increase immunization coverage, UNICEF is one of the world's largest purchasers of vaccines, procuring more than 2 billion doses each year on behalf of countries and partners to reach almost half of the world's children. . We are also working to distribute vaccines to the last mile and ensure access to immunization services in remote and underserved areas.

Thanks to vaccinations, more children now survive past their fifth birthday and grow up healthy than at any other point in history. This major achievement is the result of governments, partners, scientists, health workers, civil society, volunteers and parents themselves working together in the same direction: protecting children from deadly diseases. We must build on this momentum and ensure all children everywhere have access to life-saving immunizations. ”

Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director

In 2000, Gavi, a vaccine alliance that included WHO, UNICEF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) as core founding members, expanded the impact of the EPI to ensure that the world's poorest countries expanded coverage and received vaccines. was established to help people benefit from the Develop new life-saving vaccines and expand protection against the rise in vaccine-preventable diseases. This increased effort in the world's most vulnerable regions has helped save more lives and further promote vaccine equity. Today, Gavi helps protect an entire generation of children, providing vaccines against 20 infectious diseases, including HPV vaccines and vaccines against measles, cholera, yellow fever, Ebola and meningitis outbreaks.

“Gavi was created to build on the partnerships and advances made possible by EPI, with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable people around the world,” said Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. CEO Dr. Sania Nishtar said. “In just over 20 years, we have made incredible progress, protecting more than a billion children, helping these countries cut child mortality rates in half, and saving billions of dollars. Vaccines are truly the best investment we can make in a healthy future for everyone, no matter where they come from. have equal rights. We must ensure that these efforts are adequately funded to protect the progress made and help countries meet the current challenges of their immunization programs. ”

Immunization programs are the cornerstone of primary health care services in communities and countries because of their broad scope and coverage. These not only provide vaccination opportunities, but also enable the delivery of other life-saving care, such as nutritional support, maternal tetanus prevention, disease screening, and the distribution of bed nets to protect families from diseases such as malaria. Masu.

Because this study only looked at the health effects of vaccination against 14 diseases, the number of lives saved by vaccination is a conservative estimate and does not fully account for the life-saving effects of vaccines. Fifty years of social, economic and educational influences on health and well-being have also contributed to further reductions in mortality. There are currently vaccines that protect against more than 30 life-threatening diseases.

The HPV vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer in adults, was not included in the study, as countries work to increase immunization targets with the aim of eliminating cervical cancer by 2030. , is expected to prevent many future deaths. The introduction of new vaccines, including vaccines for malaria, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and meningitis, as well as vaccines for cholera and Ebola used during epidemics, will continue to grow over the next 50 to 50 years. It will save more lives per year.

Saving millions more is 'humanly possible'

Global immunization programs can help humanity achieve what is possible when many stakeholders, including heads of state, regional and global health organizations, scientists, charities, aid agencies, businesses and communities work together. has been shown.

Today, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi and BMGF announce the joint campaign 'Humanly Possible' to commemorate the annual World Immunization Week from 24 to 30 April 2024. This global communications campaign calls on world leaders to advocate, support and fund vaccines. The immunization program, which provides these life-saving products, reaffirms our commitment to public health while celebrating one of humanity's greatest achievements. Over the next 50 years, her EPI will not only bring vaccines to children who otherwise would not receive them, but also protect grandparents from influenza, mothers from tetanus, adolescents from her HPV, and everyone from tuberculosis and other diseases. must be protected from many infectious diseases.

“We look forward to seeing what vaccines have been able to do over the past 50 years, thanks to the tireless efforts of governments, global partners and health professionals to make vaccines available to more people.” is impressive,” said Dr. Chris Elias, the institute's president of global development. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We cannot afford to let this incredible progress stall. By continuing to invest in immunizations, we can ensure that every child and every person has the opportunity to lead a healthy and productive life. Masu.”