SEAR/PR/1763
Kathmandu - The World Health
Organization today urged countries in South-East Asia Region to enhance routine
immunization along with the ongoing efforts to rapidly increase COVID-19
vaccination coverage.
“The vulnerability to vaccine preventable diseases has increased with the
pandemic disrupting essential immunization services and surveillance for
vaccine preventable disease. Though efforts are being made, much more
needs to be done specially at the sub-national levels and to reach the
unreached and underserved population,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional
Director, WHO South-East Asia, at the Seventy-Fourth Regional Committee
meeting.
Recalling the strong progress made until the onset of the pandemic, the
Regional Director said, by 2019 the Region was in a historically best position
related to vaccine preventable disease control with 91% coverage with three
doses of DTP vaccine (DTP3). Ten of 11 countries had achieved more than 90%
DTP3 coverage.
Though routine immunization services were among the first essential services
that countries began to restore during the pandemic, the DTP3 coverage in the
Region dipped to 85% in 2020. The number of unvaccinated or partially
vaccinated children increased to 4.9 million as against 3 million in 2019.
Surveillance of vaccine preventable diseases was also affected.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted implementation of strategies for
measles and rubella elimination, a flagship priority in the Region. The
estimated coverage with the first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) in
the Region declined to 88% in 2020 compared with 94% in 2019. Similarly,
coverage with the second dose of measles-containing vaccine declined to 78% in
2020 compared with 83% in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in
surveillance gaps in several countries and has delayed implementation of mass
vaccination campaigns and other immunization-related activities.
“There is an urgent need to repair the damage caused by COVID-19, to regain the
momentum achieved in the previous decade, and to protect infants, young people
and adults with life-saving vaccines,” Dr Khetrapal Singh said.
The ongoing Regional Committee meeting discussed the Strategic Framework
for the South-East Asia Regional Vaccine Action Plan 2022−2030 which focuses on
the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccination and restoration of immunization systems
and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance from the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic.
We need to ensure strategies are in place to maintain and enhance routine
immunization without impacting the efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccination
rates, the Regional Director said. Adequate human resources for routine
immunization and COVID-19 vaccination, efforts to build confidence among people
to access immunization services and having Standard Operating Procedures in
place for enhancing immunization activities immediately following cessation of
lockdown periods, are some of the critical measures that need to be taken, she
said.
“Implementation of the framework will need high-level political and
programmatic commitment and partner collaboration to which WHO is committed,”
the Regional Director said.
Countries in the Region are making unprecedented efforts to expand COVID-19
vaccination coverage with over 915 million doses administered across the
Region. The availability of more vaccine doses in recent weeks has helped scale
up coverage.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Region has maintained its
status of having eradicated polio and eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus.
Measles elimination has been achieved and maintained in five countries, while
two of these countries have also achieved rubella elimination. Four countries
have been verified as having achieved hepatitis B control through immunization.
The Regional Committee meeting is the annual governing body meeting of WHO
South-East Asia Region. Being hosted by Nepal, the meeting is being held
virtually for the second consecutive year in view of the pandemic.