A new study led by World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has saved at least 154 million lives since 1974 with an average of more than 8000 a day, and 6 every minute of every year for the past 50 years.
This was disclosed by the Director-General, World Health Organisation, Dr Tedro Ghebreyesus in his opening remarks to start of World Immunization Week on Wednesday.
Building on this success, Ghebreyesus stated that the EPI supported countries to establish the standardized vaccination programmes against smallpox and six other diseases: diphtheria, measles, pertussis, polio, tetanus and tuberculosis.
According to him, “Thanks to vaccines, smallpox has been eradicated, polio is on the brink, and many once-feared diseases can now be easily prevented, including measles, cervical cancer, yellow fever, pneumonia and diarrhoea.
“Today, 84% of the world’s children have received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis – which is used as a marker of global vaccine coverage.
“But only fifty years ago, in 1974, fewer than 5% of infants globally were vaccinated. That was the year WHO launched the Expanded Programme on Immunization, or EPI. The Smallpox Eradication Programme had shown that vaccines could eliminate or even eradicate some diseases”, he said.
He thanked immunization, saying a child born today is 40% more likely to see their fifth birthday than a child born 50 years ago. “And more lives are being saved as diseases becoming vaccine preventable, with newer vaccines against COVID-19, malaria, cholera, dengue, meningitis, RSV, Ebola and mpox, and more in development.
The DG noted that Immunization programmes are also the bedrock of primary health care in some of the most remote locations. *A child brought to a clinic for vaccination often receives other life-saving services, such as nutritional support, illness screenings or bed nets.
“Over the past 50 years, EPI has achieved so much, but we cannot take these gains for granted. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted routine immunization programmes globally, while in many countries, crisis and conflict means millions of people miss out on vaccines.
“Around the world, WHO and our partners are supporting countries to respond to outbreaks, catch up on children missed during the pandemic, and provide access to vaccines in even the most difficult contexts.
“In the past 50 years, EPI has shown what is possible when partners work together, including those who are joining us today – UNICEF, Gavi and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“Today, we are launching a joint campaign called “Humanly Possible”, calling on world leaders to advocate for, support and fund vaccines and the immunization programmes that deliver these lifesaving products” he said.
Ghebreyesus recalled that last month, Nigeria became the first country to roll out the new Men5CV vaccine, which protects against the five major strains of bacterial meningitis in Africa.
Adding that the campaign was aimed to vaccinate 1 million people across several States in northern Nigeria which had been hit hard by meningitis outbreaks.
The DG thankee the Government of Nigeria and partners including Gavi, Unicef, PATH and the United Kingdom, who have been critical to the development and rollout of this vaccine. “Building on this success, WHO is working with governments and partners on future rollout plans, including in Niger.
He said, “For the first time, the Men5CV vaccine gives us real hope of being able to eliminate meningitis as a public health problem. On Friday, I will join global health leaders in Paris for the first high-level meeting on defeating meningitis.
“The ‘Defeating Meningitis by 2030’ roadmap requires an initial investment of 130 million US dollars, which is frankly loose change compared to the return that investment will deliver. As well as preventing over 900,000 deaths, nearly 3 million cases of meningitis by 2030, defeating meningitis would save billions of dollars in health costs and lost productivity.
He added, “Vaccination against meningitis, as part of an integrated with primary health care programme, can also help to combat antimicrobial resistance. With the support of President Emmanuel Macron, Government of France, and our partners, achieving the goals of the roadmap is feasible”.
