Distinguished members of the Technical Advisory Group,
Esteemed Country representatives,
Colleagues and partners,
Good morning and welcome to the 34th meeting of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Immunization and Vaccine-preventable Diseases in the Western Pacific.
A warm and heartfelt welcome to our newest member - Indonesia. Selamat datang! We are honoured to have you join our shared mission — to protect every child in our Region.
We meet at a pivotal moment. Our Region — home to over a quarter of the world’s population — is facing a quiet but devastating crisis: the erosion of decades of progress in immunizations and disease control.
Measles. Polio. These are not unfamiliar enemies to all of us. We know how they spread. We know how to stop them. And yet — they are back.
Immunization coverage is falling. Outbreaks are rising. Children are suffering. And the systems meant to protect them are showing dangerous cracks.
Prevention is our most powerful tool - and routine immunization is its foundation. But that foundation is weakening.
The numbers are sobering: nearly half of our Member States reported MCV1 coverage below 90%. Over half fell short on MCV2, and 1.4 million children received no vaccines at all.
Between 2022 and 2024, measles cases surged by 743% in our Region. That is more than seven times! That’s not just a statistic — it’s a wake-up call.
This resurgence is not just about the disease. It’s about equity. It’s about access. It’s about trust. Its about the system.
I’ve written, spoken and appealed directly to all our Member States: We must act – and we must act now.
Polio, too, remains a threat. Though we’ve been polio-free since 2000, we are not immune.
In April and May this year, Papua New Guinea (PNG) confirmed an outbreak of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2.
PNG responded swiftly, with support from WHO, UNICEF and DFAT Australia and others. But the risk remains high in PNG, the Philippines, and Viet Nam – and looms large for the Philippines and Malaysia due to proximity. (In fact, the whole Region is at risk.)
At the heart of this crisis is the rise in zero-dose children – those who haven’t received even a single dose of DTP1 by their first birthday.
From 629 000 in 2019 to 1.14 million in 2024. So in five years, this number has nearly doubled. Four countries account for over 85% of these children - the Philippines, Viet Nam, China, and PNG. So we all know the target population.
This trend puts us far off course from our 2030 goal of reducing zero-dose children to 314 000, as outlined in the Western Pacific Regional Strategic Framework for 2021-2030.
We know the reasons are complex. The COVID-19 disruptions, vaccine stock-outs, misinformation, and access barriers in remote areas.
But complexity is not an excuse for inaction. We must find these children. We must understand why they are being missed. And we must reach them.
That means strengthening health systems. Tackling misinformation. Building trust. And working across sectors to close the gaps — walking alongside communities, not ahead of them.
When I was a Senior Medical Officer in Tonga, I joined the mass MMR campaign, years back, travelling to remote islands to vaccinate children. I remember the mothers who waited patiently, the village leaders who opened their homes, the children who smiled through their tears.
That experience taught me something profound: We cannot succeed without the community participation. We must listen to their voices. We must earn their trust. We must walk with them.
This TAG meeting will focus on our most urgent priorities: the measles resurgence, the polio threat, and the zero-dose crisis. Your expertise and leadership are essential.
Let us be bold. Let us be united. Let us be relentless in our pursuit of equity and protection for every child.
As Nelson Mandela once said: “History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.”
Let’s make that difference – together.
I wish you all a successful TAG meeting — one that not only advances our technical goals — but also strengthens our collective resolve to protect every child in our Region.
Let this be more than a meeting of minds — let it be a meeting of hearts. Because behind every statistic is a child. And every child deserves a chance to grow, to thrive, and to be protected.
Let all of us be the voice. Let all of us be the shield. Let all of us be their hope.
I thank you.