According to the World Health Organization an estimated 33 million children will need to be vaccinated in Africa between 2023 and 2025 to put the continent back on track to achieve the 2030 global immunization goals that include reducing morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases.
The decline in childhood vaccinations is attributed to the COVID 19-related effects like; service and supply chain disruptions, resource diversion to response efforts, and containment measures that limited immunization service access and availability.
India, Nigeria, Indonesia, Ethiopia and the Philippines registered the highest numbers of infants that did not receive a single dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP3) between 2019 and 2021.
Uganda received praise for maintaining high levels of coverage in routine immunization programs despite the healthcare systems, and health workers, being under significant strain amidst the COVID 19 pandemic.
