Dr Margaret Chan
Dr Margaret Chan
Reversing a downward trend, immunization rates are at their highest ever and vaccine development worldwide is booming, according to an assessment released Oct. 21 by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the World Bank.
The State of the World’s Vaccines and Immunization reports that more infants are being immunized today than ever before — a record 106 million in 2008 — according to new data. At the same time, its authors are calling on donor nations to address a funding gap that leaves millions of children still at risk, particularly in the poorest nations and communities, where preventable diseases take their deadliest toll.
The release of new evidence of success in the overall global immunization effort takes place just as many nations are conducting pandemic H1N1 immunization campaigns, underscoring the unparalleled role of vaccines in preventing communicable diseases and the challenges of reaching the most vulnerable communities.
"The influenza pandemic draws attention to the promise and dynamism of vaccine development today," said Dr Margaret Chan, director-general of the WHO. “Yet it reminds us once again of the obstacles to bringing the benefits of science to people in the poorest nations. We must overcome the divide that separates rich from poor —between those who get life-saving vaccines, and those who don’t."
Leading officials from international agencies warn that life-saving vaccines, now common in wealthy countries, still do not reach an estimated 24 million children who are most at risk
"Worldwide measles deaths fell by 74 percent between 2000 and 2007, and vaccinations played an important part in that decline," said Ann M. Veneman, executive director of UNICEF. “Such progress must inspire new efforts to immunize children around the globe against life-threatening diseases."