Amid a worrying resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases across the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, have issued an urgent call for renewed global commitment and funding for immunisation programmes, warning that decades of progress risk being reversed.
The warning came in a joint statement on Thursday to mark World Immunisation Week (April 24–30), an annual campaign to highlight the life-saving importance of vaccines. This year, the message was stark: the world is facing a vaccine emergency.
Outbreaks of deadly but preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis, diphtheria, and yellow fever are surging, driven by reduced vaccine coverage, population growth, misinformation, and widespread cuts to donor funding. These factors have left millions — especially children in fragile or conflict-affected countries — vulnerable.
Measles, one of the most contagious diseases in the world, is back on the rise. The agencies reported that an estimated 10.3 million measles cases were recorded in 2023 — a 20% increase from 2022 — with 138 countries reporting cases in the last 12 months, including 61 large-scale outbreaks, the most since 2019.
The resurgence follows a significant drop in immunisation coverage during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in low-income nations. The WHO estimates that nearly 15 million children missed their measles vaccines due to pandemic-related disruptions.
In Africa, the situation is just as alarming. Meningitis cases rose sharply in 2024, with 5,500 suspected cases and nearly 300 deaths reported in just the first three months of the year across 22 countries. In 2023, the continent saw about 26,000 cases and 1,400 deaths from the disease.
Similarly, yellow fever — once nearly eradicated in parts of Africa due to robust vaccine campaigns — is re-emerging. So far in 2024, 124 cases have been confirmed in 12 African countries, while the Americas region has also recorded 131 cases in four countries, signalling a worrying global pattern.
The global surge in outbreaks comes against a backdrop of massive cuts in international health funding. A recent WHO rapid survey of 108 country offices — mostly in low- and lower-middle-income nations — revealed that nearly half face moderate to severe disruptions in vaccination efforts, supply chains, and disease surveillance.
“Vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past five decades,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus said. “Yet these gains are now at serious risk due to shrinking funds. Countries must prioritise high-impact interventions like immunisation — the cost of inaction is far greater.”
UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, also raised the alarm: “In nearly 50 countries, immunisation and outbreak response are backsliding to levels last seen during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot afford to lose this ground.”
Gavi CEO Dr. Sania Nishtar warned that without urgent financial support, immunisation momentum may collapse altogether. The alliance will host a High-Level Pledging Summit on June 25, 2025, aiming to raise $9 billion to fund its 2026–2030 strategy, which seeks to vaccinate 500 million children and save 8 million lives.
“We have a clear plan — expand global vaccine stockpiles, deploy targeted campaigns in outbreak zones, and reinforce national immunisation systems,” said Nishtar. “But if Gavi isn’t fully funded, the lives of millions — especially in the most vulnerable regions — will hang in the balance.”
The agencies stressed that while the challenges are immense, they are not insurmountable. Immunisation remains one of the most cost-effective health interventions, preventing an estimated 4.2 million deaths annually against 14 life-threatening diseases. Nearly half of those lives saved are in Africa.
UNICEF, WHO, and Gavi jointly called on governments, donors, communities, and civil society to rally around the Immunisation Agenda 2030 and redouble investments in public health.
“We can’t let misinformation, apathy, and budget cuts undermine what science, partnership, and people have built over decades,” the agencies said. “Vaccines work — but only if we deliver them.”
