Progress in Vaccination Coverage in Africa: A Mixed Bag

African countries have made significant progress in vaccinating millions of people against life-threatening diseases such as measles, polio, and cervical cancer, with vaccination coverage reaching record highs in 2023. Despite this, challenges persist in reaching children in the region, with one in four children remaining under-vaccinated and one out of five children unvaccinated. The progress made is attributed to government efforts and support from partners like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization.

Key Takeaways:

In 2023, vaccination saved at least 1.8 million lives in the African region, nearly half the global figure of 4.2 million.
More than 5 million "zero-dose" children in the African region have been vaccinated since 2024 through the "Big Catch-Up" initiative launched in 2023 in 24 priority countries.
The region recorded a two-percentage-point increase in the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) immunization coverage among 1-year-olds, from 72% to 74%.
Notable gains were seen in Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Uganda.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage (one dose) has increased to 40% in 2023 up from 28% the year before, making Africa the region with the second highest coverage rate globally.
Africa has made tremendous progress in the fight against polio, recording a 93% decline in circulating variant poliovirus type 1 cases from 2023 to 2024 and a 65% decrease in variant poliovirus type 1 cases in just the past year.
Despite progress, challenges persist in reaching children in the region, and one in four children remain under-vaccinated while one out of five children are unvaccinated.
Persistent barriers to vaccination include limited access to healthcare in remote areas, logistical and cold chain constraints, vaccine hesitancy driven by misinformation, and insufficient funding for immunization programs.
The African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) was launched in 2024 to accelerate the expansion of commercially viable vaccine manufacturing in Africa, with a financing mechanism of up to US$ 1.2 billion available over ten years.

Statistics:

At least 1.8 million lives saved by vaccination in the African region in 2023 (Source: World Health Organization)
5 million "zero-dose" children vaccinated in the African region since 2024 through the "Big Catch-Up" initiative (Source: World Health Organization)
2-percentage-point increase in DTP3 immunization coverage among 1-year-olds, from 72% to 74% (Source: World Health Organization)
40% HPV vaccination coverage (one dose) in 2023, up from 28% the previous year (Source: World Health Organization)
93% decline in circulating variant poliovirus type 1 cases from 2023 to 2024 (Source: World Health Organization)
65% decrease in variant poliovirus type 1 cases in the past year (Source: World Health Organization)
US$ 1.2 billion available over ten years for the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) (Source: World Health Organization)

Sources:

World Health Organization: Press Release, Brazzaville/Geneva, April 24
World Health Organization
World Health Organization: Press Release, Brazzaville/Geneva, April 24