Vaccines save over 50m lives in Africa in 50 years – WHO

An estimated 51.2 million lives have been saved through vaccines in the African region  over the past 50 years. For every infant life saved over the period, close to 60 years of life are lived, according to a new report by the World Health Organization, WHO.

Disclosing this in the new report,  WHO says these achievements have been possible under the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), a WHO initiative launched in 1974 as a global endeavour to ensure equitable access to life-saving vaccines for every child, regardless of their geographic location or socioeconomic status.

The report, which assesses the life-saving impact of vaccines, was released on Wednesday at the start of this year’s African Vaccination Week and World Immunization Week being marked from 24–30 April under the theme “Safeguarding Our Future: Humanly Possible”.

With the continuous support from WHO, UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and many others, today most countries in the region provide antigens for 13 vaccine-preventable diseases, up from the initial six when the EPI was introduced.

In Africa notable achievements have been made, including reduction in measles deaths, with an estimated 19.5 million deaths averted over the last 22 years. The region has also witnessed a sharp decline in meningitis deaths by up to 39 percent in 2019 compared with 2000.

Maternal and neonatal tetanus has nearly been eliminated in the region, and in a historic public health achievement, the African region was declared free of indigenous wild poliovirus in 2022 following years of relentless work to protect every child from the virus.

In the views of the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, “From disease prevention to eradication the success story of vaccines is a compelling one. Millions of people are alive and healthy today thanks to the protection vaccines offer.