Margaret Chann, WHO Director General
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed concern over the low utilization of vaccines although it saved millions of lives between 2010 and 2015.
The WHO marking the world Immunization day celebrated in the last week of April to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease said despite the success of vaccine usage, more work needs to be done to reach everyone with life-saving vaccines.
“Today, there are still 19.4 million unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children in the world,” the UN Health Agency said.
“The ambitious Global Vaccine Action Plan to reach everyone with vaccines by 2020 started strong but is falling behind. WHO challenges all health leaders to make immunization one of the biggest success stories of modern medicine,” it added.
Dr Chan, WHO Director-General said immunization saves 2-3 million lives every year and is widely recognized as one of the world’s most successful and cost-effective health interventions. Despite success,
She said the Expanded Programme on Immunization was born out of success at a time of tremendous optimism about the game-changing potential of vaccines with the programme remaining true to its privileged birthright.
“It numbers among the most successful of all public health programmes. Since its inception, the Programme has been a pathfinder for universal coverage,” Dr. Chan said.
“In 1974, only 5% of the world’s children were protected from the six killer diseases targeted by the Programme. Today, that figure is 86%, with some developing countries reaching more than 95% immunization coverage,” she added.
Meningitis
The World Meningitis Day was also marked in the same week drawing attention to the use of vaccines in containing Meningococcal meningitis consideration the current outbreak of Meningitis in the region.
“Immunization is widely recognized as one of the most successful and cost effective health interventions. Pfizer’s goal is to protect lives with innovative vaccines to fight serious diseases worldwide and make vaccination against potentially deadly diseases available” said Medical Director Pfizer, Kodjo Soroh.
Drector Corporate Affairs Pfizer, Margaret Olele said Pfizer will continue to deliver on its commitments to colleagues and customers, protecting lives with innovative vaccines to fight serious diseases worldwide.
“We encourage individuals, families and communities to learn the signs and symptoms of meningitis, the importance of urgent treatment of the disease, and that prevention is available through vaccination against some forms of meningitis” Madam Olele said.
Meningitis disease is an infection of the meninges, the membrane covering the brain. Bacterial meningitis is very serious because its onset is rapid and the infection is associated with a significant risk of death; it may also result in mental retardation, deafness, epilepsy, etc.
It can be treated with appropriate antibiotics that also prevents spread Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial form of meningitis, a serious infection of the meninges that affects the brain membrane. It can cause severe brain damage and is fatal in 50% of cases if untreated1.
Meningococcal bacteria are transmitted from person-to-person through droplets from the nose and throat of carriers. Close and prolonged contact with a carrier of meningitis facilitates the spread of the disease.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri