Funding cuts, misinformation threaten to undo gains of immunization
FILE PHOTO: World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus —REUTERS
Immunization efforts are under growing threat as misinformation, population growth, humanitarian crises and funding cuts jeopardize progress and leave millions of children, adolescents and adults at risk, according to international agencies.
The warning came from the World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund and Gavi Vaccine Alliance on Thursday, the start of World Immunization Week.
READ: Vaccines saved 154 million lives in 50 years – WHO
“Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis and yellow fever are rising globally, and diseases like diphtheria that have long been held at bay or virtually disappeared in many countries, are at risk of reemerging,” they said in a statement.
They called on governments worldwide for urgent and sustained political attention, and investment to strengthen immunization programs.
“Vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past five decades,” WHO director general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“Funding cuts to global health have put these hard-won gains in jeopardy. Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases are increasing around the world, putting lives at risk and exposing countries to increased costs in treating diseases and responding to outbreaks. Countries with limited resources must invest in the highest-impact interventions—and that includes vaccines,” he said.
The impact of the foreign aid cuts of the United States starting in January this year has yet to be fully felt, but the Department of Health (DOH) has said it would find various sources of alternative funding for its programs, including vaccination.
Top aid recipient
The Philippines has been among the top recipients of US foreign aid in the past years, particularly through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
From 2020 to 2024, the Philippines received $855 million through the USAID, of which $242 million or 28 percent was for health programs.
Based on data from the DOH as of February, only 64 percent or 1,542,282 out of the 2,392,392 Filipino children aged 0-12 months are fully vaccinated. This was still far from the target of 95 percent to achieve herd immunity and prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
