Global immunisation efforts have saved over 150 million lives in 50 years, according to the World Health Organization, as it launches its annual awareness drive.
The agency made this known in a statement marking World Immunisation Week, observed annually from April 24 to April 30, where it is spotlighting the life-saving impact of vaccines across all age groups.
According to WHO, immunisation has helped curb diseases such as measles, diphtheria, pertussis, polio and rotavirus, while scientific advances have also led to effective vaccines against malaria, HPV, cholera, dengue, meningitis, RSV, Ebola and mpox.
The organisation noted that 2026 represents the midpoint of the Immunization Agenda 2030, a global initiative aimed at expanding equitable access to vaccines worldwide.
A recent progress report shows that despite major disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, climate-related challenges and funding constraints, immunisation efforts in the last five years have prevented millions of deaths.
However, the report warns that many countries are still falling short of key targets, with lingering gaps in routine vaccination coverage, equitable access and outbreak prevention.
The WHO is therefore urging governments and global health partners to strengthen national immunisation systems, integrate vaccination more effectively into primary healthcare, and scale up investment in vaccine delivery.
In a related development, WHO, alongside the UNICEF and Gavi, announced that “The Big Catch-up” campaign has reached about 18.3 million children across 36 countries since its launch in 2023.
The initiative, designed to reverse immunisation setbacks caused by the pandemic, has also delivered 23 million doses of inactivated polio vaccine to children who were previously unvaccinated or under-vaccinated, with projections indicating it will meet its target of reaching at least 21 million children.
Meanwhile, WHO’s Country Representative in Nigeria, Walter Mulombo, reaffirmed that vaccines remain safe and effective, stressing that each vaccine undergoes a rigorous approval process before deployment.
