The World Health Organization (WHO) has reiterated the importance of ramping up immunisation efforts in the Western Pacific region to combat a potential resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. Emphasizing the necessity to safeguard the progress made in vaccination programs, the WHO highlights the critical need to ensure that all children receive routine immunizations and to maintain public trust in vaccines throughout life. Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, underlined the significance of vaccines in protecting families and communities but warned against complacency.
In 2024, an alarming 2.1 million children in the Western Pacific missed out on at least one vaccine dose, leaving a substantial number vulnerable to preventable illnesses. Despite significant advancements in combating vaccine-preventable diseases across the region, which is home to 2.2 billion people, a quarter of the global population, challenges persist. The WHO stresses the urgency of bolstering routine immunisation systems, enhancing outreach to marginalized communities, and ensuring the reliability of vaccine supply chains to reverse this concerning trend.
The WHO underscores the pivotal role of vaccination in averting millions of deaths and disabilities in the Western Pacific Region. However, the issue of unequal access to vaccines remains a pressing concern in numerous countries. The Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunisation (VDI) unit aims to create a region free from vaccine-preventable diseases by assisting Member States in achieving the objectives outlined in the Regional Framework for Implementation of the Global Vaccine Action Plan.
Immunisation targets for the Western Pacific Region include maintaining a polio-free status, eradicating maternal and neonatal tetanus, eliminating measles, expediting the control of hepatitis B, eradicating rubella, introducing new vaccines, meeting regional vaccination coverage goals, and accelerating efforts to control Japanese encephalitis.
