According to a study led by the World Health Organization, global vaccination drives has saved the lives of around 154 million people, of which 101 million were infants, over the past five decades.
The study commissioned on the 50th anniversary of WHO’s Expanded Programme on Immunization, “is the most comprehensive analysis of the program’s global and regional health impact over the past five decades”.
The health agency said that other than vaccination, factors such as lower poverty and better nutrition, cleaner air and water, and affordable treatment, have also contributed towards the change.
The paper, authored by a team of researchers led by WHO epidemiologist and vaccine expert Naor Bar-Zeev, found that vaccines such as diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, measles, meningitis A, pertussis, invasive pneumococcal disease, polio, rotavirus, rubella, tetanus, tuberculosis, and yellow fever, contributed towards 40 percent decline in infant mortality globally.
“Vaccines are among the most powerful inventions in history, making once-feared diseases preventable,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Thanks to vaccines, smallpox has been eradicated, polio is on the brink, and with the more recent development of vaccines against diseases like malaria and cervical cancer, we are pushing back the frontiers of disease. With continued research, investment and collaboration, we can save millions more lives today and in the next 50 years.”
The global agency said that vaccination programs not only improves immunity of people, but also provide additional care such as nutritional support, maternal tetanus prevention, illness screenings and bed net distribution to protect families from mosquitoes.
“It’s inspiring to see what vaccines have made possible over the last fifty years, thanks to the tireless efforts of governments, global partners and health workers to make them more accessible to more people,” stressed Dr Chris Elias, president of Global Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We cannot let this incredible progress falter. By continuing to invest in immunization, we can ensure that every child – and every person – has the chance to live a healthy and productive life.”
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