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The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the world that vaccines must take priority, writes Githinji Gitahi. Imagine a world in which everyone is at risk of contracting a contagious disease without prevention or cure. A world in which billions of people live in fear of a disease that is fatal to many and has the power to shut down entire economies.
For many, such a terrifying scenario would have been confined to the realms of the creative imagination just a year ago despite warnings from public health experts. Yet this is the reality we live in today as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has infected more than 16.5 million people and killed more than 655,000 as of July 29, 2020.
Global health crisis
While this global health crisis continues to put pressure on health systems and economies around the world, it also threatens the health and well-being of populations in more ways than one.
When people get vaccinated, they have a better chance of leading healthy and productive lives and fighting new infections thanks to improved immunity. “
Githinji Gitahi
In July 2020, the WHO and UNICEF warned of an alarming decline in the number of children receiving life-saving vaccines around the world, due to COVID-19 lockdowns and the disruption of essential health services.
At least 21 countries are experiencing vaccine shortages as a result of the pandemic, while vaccination campaigns against diseases such as polio, cholera, yellow fever and meningitis, among others, have been postponed, already affecting more than 13.5 million people.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we witnessed outbreaks of these same diseases in several African countries: yellow fever and measles in Uganda, measles and polio in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and cholera in Ethiopia, among others.
These outbreaks – and the ongoing implementation of catch-up campaigns – in several African countries are an indication of gaps in immunization coverage.
For example, in West and Central Africa, immunization coverage stagnated at 70% for polio and 71% for measles in 2018, while in Eastern and Southern Africa, regional immunization coverage was 77% for polio and 76% for measles. These gaps in coverage leave millions of children at risk of life-threatening illnesses.
The value of vaccines
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread and researchers and scientists around the world work tirelessly to develop a vaccine, we are reminded, now more than ever, of the immeasurable value of vaccines.
Vaccines save lives. They are the foundation of primary health care and one of the most important tools available to us to protect the health and well-being of children and adults around the world. When people get vaccinated, they have a better chance of leading healthy and productive lives and fighting new infections thanks to improved immunity.
COVID-19 paints a clear picture of what a world without vaccines would be like. Without protection and immunity against deadly infectious diseases, lives are lost and public health, safety and economic growth are threatened. Strong immunization systems are essential to equip populations with the ability to withstand public health crises.
Building commitment to vaccination programs
While the pandemic presents many challenges, it also presents an opportunity for collaboration across sectors and for increased political commitment towards robust and sustainable vaccination programs.
Additionally, COVID-19 has elevated the role of data and data systems for health service delivery and response in African countries, and will determine how we use them to inform vaccine availability, specific interventions, and mapping of hot spots. in the future. It’s an opportunity to rethink the delivery of immunization services around the world, including how we can better reach underserved and underserved communities.
In June, the World Vaccine Summit was held, for the first time virtually, with the aim of mobilizing funds to improve access to quality immunization services. The Summit raised $ 8.8 billion in pledges, funds that will be used to immunize 300 million children against infectious diseases and save up to 8 million lives over the next five years.
Over the past two decades, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has helped vaccinate more than 760 million people around the world through routine immunization and reached nearly one billion people through campaigns targeting respond to disease outbreaks and increase immunization rates, especially among vulnerable people. populations. However, much remains to be done to reach the millions of children in Africa who have not been immunized.
Even as governments set out to flatten the COVID-19 curve, they must ensure that the provision of essential services such as immunization remains a priority. Particularly in low- and middle-income countries, reallocating previously allocated funds for routine immunization and other public health initiatives could lead to a setback in progress made in disease prevention and, in some cases, eradication preventable by vaccination.
It is therefore critical that now, perhaps more than ever, we prioritize immunization and ensure that life-saving vaccines reach everyone, especially the most vulnerable.
As we work to contain COVID-19, let’s also make sure we don’t lose the gains we’ve worked so hard for. By continuing to invest in immunization, we can protect current and future generations from preventable diseases and build a healthier and more prosperous world for all.
