KATHMANDU, JULY 18
The World Health Organisation South-East Asia Region today complimented member countries, including Nepal, for scaling up childhood immunisation coverage to pre-pandemic levels and called for continued intensified efforts with a focus on reaching the 2.3 million unvaccinated and 650,000 partially vaccinated children.
"Every child deserves to be protected against life threatening diseases with routine immunisation vaccines. The momentum build with impressive efforts and immunisation service recoveries must continue to benefit every child for a healthy and productive life," said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO South-East Asia in a press release.
The WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunisation coverage for 2022, released earlier today, show that in WHO South-East Asia Region the coverage rate for DPT3, third dose of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccines which is used globally to assess vaccination rates, recovered to pre-pandemic 91 per cent a sharp increase from 82 per cent recorded in 2021.
The region has also shown a six per cent improvement in coverage of the measles containing vaccine in 2022 compared to 2021, moving from 86 per cent to 92 per cent. The region had the best immunisation recoveries among all WHO Regions which can be majorly attributed to efforts being made by India and Indonesia, the Regional Director said. India recorded 93 per cent DPT3 coverage in 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic all time high of 91 per cent in 2019, and a rapid increase from 85 per cent recorded in 2021. Indonesia's DPT3 coverage recovered to 85 per cent, the same as in 2019, but the country recorded one of the sharpest recoveries from 67 per cent in 2021.
Bhutan with 98 per cent and Maldives with 99 per cent DPT3 coverage surpassed their pre-pandemic immunisation rates. Bangladesh with 98 per cent and Thailand with 97 per cent have demonstrated consistency in routine immunisation coverage throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
"While we draw lessons from the pandemic to strengthen capacities to respond to future health emergencies, we must learn from countries which maintained their immunisation rates even while responding to a pandemic," Dr Khetrapal Singh said. Sri Lanka with 98 per cent coverage, Nepal with 90 per cent and Timor-Leste with 86 per cent are closer to pre-pandemic coverage of 99 per cent, 93 per cent and 90 per cent respectively.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 19, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
