The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that vaccination programs across Africa have saved an estimated 154 million lives over the past 50 years, with the majority being infants. This achievement is largely attributed to the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), launched in 1974.
However, the WHO and other health bodies warn that this progress is now under threat. A significant drop in childhood immunization coverage has been observed in some regions following the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, funding cuts from international donors and rising vaccine hesitancy are creating major obstacles to sustaining and expanding these life-saving programs.
"The progress made in the past decades is at risk," said a WHO official in a recent statement. "We are seeing backsliding in immunization coverage, which leaves children vulnerable to preventable diseases like measles, polio, and diphtheria." The organization emphasizes that continued investment and strong health systems are critical to protect the decades of gains made in public health across the continent.
