A major landmark study to be published by The Lancet reveals that global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives – or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year – over the past 50 years.
Of the vaccines included in the study, the measles vaccination had the most significant impact on reducing infant mortality, accounting for 60% of the lives saved due to immunization.
Today, 84% of infants are protected with 3 doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) – the global marker for immunization coverage.
Nearly 94 million of the estimated 154 million lives saved since 1974, were a result of protection by measles vaccines.
Saving millions more is “Humanly Possible” Global immunization programmes have shown what is humanly possible when many stakeholders, including heads of state, regional and global health agencies, scientists, charities, aid agencies, businesses, and communities work together.
Today, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and BMGF are unveiling “Humanly Possible”, a joint campaign, marking the annual World Immunization Week, 24-30 April 2024.
By continuing to invest in immunization, we can ensure that every child – and every person – has the chance to live a healthy and productive life.” **** Notes to editors For more information on WHO World Immunization Week 2024 campaign, visit World Immunization Week 2024 (who.int) and Humanly Possible campaign, http://itshumanlypossible.org.
Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines.
An estimated 154 million lives have been saved worldwide through vaccination efforts over the past 50 years, or six lives every minute of the year, according to a significant landmark study that will be published in The Lancet. 101 million lives were spared, the great majority of which were those of infants.
The World Health Organization (WHO) led the study, which demonstrates that vaccination is the single most important health intervention for ensuring that children not only reach their first birthdays but also continue to live healthy lives into adulthood.
Out of all the vaccines studied, the measles vaccination had the greatest effect on lowering infant mortality—it was responsible for 60% of the lives that were spared as a result of immunization. This vaccine is probably going to continue to be the biggest factor in preventing deaths in the future.
Immunization against 14 diseases (diphtheria, hepatitis B, meningitis A, Japanese encephalitis, measles, pertussis, invasive pneumococcal disease, polio, rotavirus, rubella, tetanus, tuberculosis, and yellow fever) has directly reduced infant mortality by 40% worldwide and by more than 50% in the African Region over the past 50 years.
According to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, “vaccines are among the most powerful inventions in history, making once-feared diseases preventable.”. “We are advancing the boundaries of disease thanks to vaccinations; smallpox has been eliminated, polio is almost eradicated, and more recently, vaccinations against cervical cancer and malaria have been developed. It is possible to save millions more lives in the next 50 years with sustained research, funding, and cooperation. “.
The study discovered that over the course of five decades, 10 point 2 billion full health years were gained, or an average of 66 years of full health were gained for every life saved by immunization. The world is on the brink of completely eliminating polio, as vaccination against the disease has prevented the paralysis that would have prevented over 20 million people from walking today.
The achievements in childhood survival underscore the significance of safeguarding global immunization advancements and expediting endeavors to reach the 67 million children who were deprived of any or all vaccinations throughout the pandemic years.
significant initiatives over a 50-year period to expand vaccination access.
The study is the most thorough examination of the Expanded Programme on Immunization’s (EPI) impact on local and global health over the previous 50 years, and it was released ahead of the program’s 50th anniversary, which is scheduled for May 2024.
The World Health Assembly launched the Vaccination Initiative in 1974 with the intention of vaccinating every child against tuberculosis, tetanus, polio, measles, pertussis, and smallpox—the only disease that has ever been completely eradicated in human history. The program—now known as the Essential Programme on Immunization—now covers adolescents and adults in addition to children, offering recommendations for vaccination against 13 diseases that are universal and 17 more that are context-specific.
According to the study, when EPI was introduced, fewer than 5% of infants worldwide had access to routine immunization. As of right now, 84 percent of newborns are immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP), which is the global indicator of immunization coverage.
Vaccination against measles has prevented almost 94 million of the estimated 154 million deaths that have been prevented since 1974. In spite of this, 33 million kids were still not vaccinated against measles in 2022: roughly 22 million missed their first dose, and an additional 11 million missed second.
In order to prevent measles outbreaks in communities, two doses of the vaccine must achieve a coverage rate of 95% or higher. There are currently 83 percent of people worldwide who have received the first dose of the measles vaccine and 74 percent who have received the second dose, which is contributing to an extremely high number of outbreaks worldwide.
UNICEF, one of the world’s biggest vaccine purchasers, purchases over 2 billion doses annually on behalf of nations and partners in order to reach nearly half of all children on the planet. In order to guarantee that even isolated and underprivileged communities have access to immunization services, it also strives to deliver vaccines to the last mile.
“More kids than ever before survive and thrive past their fifth birthday thanks to immunizations,” stated UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. Governments, partners, scientists, healthcare professionals, members of civil society, volunteers, and parents themselves all worked together to prevent fatal diseases from striking children, and their combined efforts are truly remarkable. Making sure that every child, everywhere, has access to life-saving vaccinations is our mission as we continue to build on the momentum. “.
Developed in 2000, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, was formed to help the world’s poorest countries benefit from new, life-saving vaccines, increase coverage, and broaden the breadth of protection against an increasing number of vaccine-preventable diseases. Among its core founding members are WHO, UNICEF, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). More lives have been saved and vaccine equity has advanced thanks to this increased effort in the world’s most vulnerable areas. As of right now, Gavi has contributed to the protection of an entire generation of children and offers vaccinations against 20 infectious diseases, such as the HPV vaccine and treatments for measles, cholera, yellow fever, Ebola, and meningitis outbreaks.
Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, stated, “Gavi was established to build on the partnership and progress made possible by EPI, intensifying focus on protecting the most vulnerable around the world.”. “In a little more than 20 years, we have witnessed amazing progress that has protected over a billion children, reduced childhood mortality in these nations by half, and brought about billions of dollars in economic gains. The best investment we can make to guarantee that everyone, regardless of where they were born, has an equal right to a healthy future is to invest in vaccines. However, in order to preserve the progress that has been made and assist nations in addressing the current obstacles to their immunization programs, we must make sure that these efforts are fully funded. “.
Because immunization programs are so widely available and widely embraced, they have emerged as the cornerstone of primary health care in both communities and nations. Apart from offering immunization, they facilitate the provision of other vital healthcare services like nutritional assistance, prevention of maternal tetanus, disease screenings, and distribution of bed nets to shield families against illnesses like malaria.
The number of lives saved as a result of vaccination is a conservative estimate and does not represent the full scope of the life-saving potential of vaccines, as the study only examines the health impact of vaccination against 14 diseases. More mortality reductions over the past 50 years have also been attributed to the effects of societal, economic, or educational factors on health and well-being. There are vaccinations available now to guard against over thirty serious illnesses.
Even though the HPV vaccine, which guards against adult cases of cervical cancer, was left out of the study, it is anticipated to save many lives going forward as nations strive to raise vaccination rates in an effort to eradicate the disease by 2030. The next fifty years will see the introduction of more vaccines that will save lives, including those against meningitis, COVID-19, malaria, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and cholera.
“Humanly Possible” means saving millions more.
Global immunization campaigns have demonstrated what is humanly possible when numerous parties collaborate, including governments, corporations, aid organizations, scientists, charities, and communities.
In honor of the yearly World Immunization Week, which takes place from April 24–30, 2024, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and BMGF are launching a joint campaign called “Humanly Possible” today. Reiterating their commitment to public health and honoring one of humanity’s greatest triumphs, the global communication campaign asks world leaders to promote, support, and fund vaccines and the immunization programs that deliver these life-saving products. In addition to vaccinating the children who have not received their shots, the next 50 years of EPI will need to shield moms from tetanus, grandparents from influenza, teenagers from HPV, adults from TB, and a host of other infectious diseases.
Dr. Chris Elias, president of Global Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said, “It’s inspiring to see what vaccines have made possible over the last 50 years, thanks to the tireless efforts of governments, global partners, and health workers to make them more accessible to more people.”. “This amazing progress cannot be allowed to stall. We can guarantee that every child and individual has the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life by funding immunization programs going forward. “.
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Notes to editors.
Visit World Immunization Week 2024 (who . int) and the Humanly Possible campaign at http://itshumanlypossible . org for additional information about these campaigns.
View pictures and information about vaccinations here.
Concerning the data.
With assistance from scientists at the University of Basel and Safinea Ltd., WHO oversaw the analysis of the Expanded Programme’s effects on immunization from 1974 to 2024. Washington University, KidRisk Inc. among them are the Vaccine Impact Modeling Consortium, Penn State University, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the University of Cape Town, and Imperial College London. The analysis includes the effects of vaccination against 14 diseases on both global and regional health, including rotavirus, rubella, tetanus, tuberculosis, Japanese encephalitis, measles, meningitis A, pertussis, invasive pneumococcal disease, polio, and yellow fever.
Concerning WHO.
The World Health Organization is committed to promoting and advancing global efforts to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity at a safe and healthy life, and it does so by using science as a guide. Our role as the UN agency for health is to link countries, partners, and front-line workers in more than 150 locations while also preventing disease, treating the underlying causes of health problems, increasing access to medications and medical care, and spearheading the global response to health emergencies. Our goals are to safeguard global security, advance health, and assist the weak. Visit www. who are not int.
concerning UNICEF.
In order to reach the most disadvantaged children worldwide, UNICEF works in some of the most difficult locations on earth. We strive to create a better world for everyone by working for every child, everywhere, in more than 190 countries and territories. Visit the following website to learn more about UNICEF and its work: www. www.unicef.org. Observe UNICEF on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About the Vaccine Alliance, or Gavi.
More than half of the world’s children receive vaccinations against some of the deadliest diseases thanks to the public-private partnership known as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Over a billion children have benefited from Gavi’s immunization efforts since the organization’s founding in 2000. Additionally, Gavi has helped 78 lower-income countries cut their child mortality in half by preventing over 17 point 3 million future deaths. By assisting health systems and financing international stockpiles of vaccines against meningococcal disease, cholera, Ebola, and yellow fever, Gavi also significantly contributes to enhancing global health security. Gavi is currently concentrating on safeguarding the next generation, particularly the zero-dose children who have not received a single vaccination shot, following twenty years of advancements. Innovative financing and cutting-edge technology, such as drones and biometrics, are utilized by the Vaccine Alliance to avert deaths, stop outbreaks before they start, and assist nations in achieving financial independence. Visit www.gavi.org for additional information, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
