Despite considerable progress in expanding access to vaccines in Africa, one in five children on the continent still do not receive life-saving immunizations, a report issued Tuesday by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows.

Countries are urged to increase investments in immunisation, given the economic benefits.

Africa’s routine immunisation coverage of 80 percent is the lowest of any region in the world, it noted.

The report was released by the WHO Regional Office for Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean Region ahead of the first-ever Ministerial Conference on Immunisation in Africa, being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from February 24-25.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, says the report is an "urgent wake-up call to Africans” of all walks of life and at every level and that it is unacceptable that one in five African children lack access to lifesaving vaccines.

Titled "Fulfilling a promise: Ensuring immunisation for all in Africa,” the report is the first to summarise immunisation progress and challenges across the continent since global leaders declared the Decade of Vaccines and launched the 2011-2020 Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP).

"For Africa to achieve its full potential and secure a bright future, we must unite to ensure that every child on the continent receives the vaccines he or she needs to survive and thrive,” said Dr. Moeti.

The report paints a mixed picture on vaccine access, delivery systems and immunisation equity.

On the positive side, there has been some strong progress in vaccination on the continent. Among other positives, routine immunisation coverage has increased considerably across Africa—average DTP3 [the vaccine for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis] coverage increased from 57 per cent in 2000 to 80 percent in 2014.

This immunisation is recommended for all infants, and the coverage rate of this vaccine is generally understood as the best way to measure overall immunisation coverage.

Measles deaths also declined by 86 percent between 2000 and 2014. Control of measles – a highly infectious virus – requires more than 95 per cent coverage with two doses of measles-containing vaccine (MCV) across all districts. In 2014, while the coverage of one dose of MCV in Africa was 74 per cent, coverage of two doses of MCV was only 19 percent.

Furthermore, introduction of new vaccines in Africa is another major success, seeing that many countries have introduced multiple new vaccines, such as pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and rotavirus vaccine, at the same time.

Despite these achievements, however, the report outlines some of the significant challenges that remain; including that one in five children still do not receive the most basic vaccines they need.

There are also serious disparities within countries, as only nine countries in Africa reported DTP3 coverage greater than 80 per cent in all districts in 2014.

In addition, three critical diseases—measles, rubella, and neonatal tetanus—that were eliminated or nearly eliminated in most regions of the world, remain widespread in Africa.

In 2013, Africa was home to 45 per cent of global deaths due to measles.

Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr Kesetebirhan Admasu, said: "We can and must do more to protect all our children from devastating illnesses – not only because it is our responsibility to ensure healthier futures for our citizens, but also because it is a smart economic decision.”

Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, African Union Commission Chairperson said this is the start of a new era of health on our continent, in which all countries commit to saving and improving children’s lives using one of the most powerful tools ever invented: vaccines.

Africa’s unity on immunisation is our best hope for a better future, she said.

Many African countries reportedly have fragile health systems that have buckled under sudden crises, such as armed conflict or major disease outbreaks such as the Ebola outbreak.

The Addis Ababa conference brings together ministers of health and other line ministers as well as parliamentarians to commit to providing universal access to immunisation and strengthening of vaccine delivery systems.

The new report has informed a ministerial declaration that will be open for signatures during the conference.

After the conference, the declaration will be presented to the Assembly of African Heads of State and Governments at the 26th Summit of the African Union, to be held in Kigali, in June.

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