Kathmandu, April 29

Despite spending billions of rupees on immunisation programmes, many children are yet to be fully immunised.

According to Nepal Demographic Health Survey report published in 2016, one per cent children in the country were completely out of the immunisation programme while 21 per cent were partially immunised.

Organising a press conference, Nepal Paediatric Society today informed that only 78 per cent children below two years of age were fully immunised.

According to President of Nepal Paediatric Society Dr Krishna Bista, immunisation is important for people of all age groups, but due to lack of budget, the government has launched immunisation programme only for infants and children. As part of the government’s immunisation programme, 11 vaccines are administered to children below the age of two in the country.

With the implementation of immunisation programme across the country, child mortality rate has significantly gone down.  In 1990, child mortality rate was 142 deaths per 1000 live births, but now this has come down to 39 deaths per 1000 live births.

According to World Health Organisation, 116.2 million children immunised in 2017 is the highest ever till date. Since 2010, 113 countries have introduced new vaccines, and more than 20 million additional children have been vaccinated.

But despite significant gains, countries have failed to meet the target of completely eliminating diseases such as measles, rubella, and maternal and neonatal tetanus. In the last two years, the world has seen multiple outbreaks of measles, diphtheria and various other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Most of the children missing out are those living in the poorest, marginalised and conflict-affected communities.

In order for everyone to survive and thrive, countries must intensify efforts to ensure that all people receive the life-saving benefits of vaccines.

Dr Bista said immunisation had saved millions of lives and was widely recognised as one of the world’s most successful and cost-effective health interventions.  However, WHO estimates that nearly 20 million children in the world are still unvaccinated or under-vaccinated.

“Vaccines are necessary to help protect people against various diseases, such as whooping cough, hepatitis B, cervical cancer, diphtheria, pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, measles, rubella and tetanus,” he said.

“Vaccination is critical although adequate levels of hygiene, sanitation and clean water are equally important to help protect people from infectious diseases,” he added.