Message from Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu
This African Vaccination Week, celebrated from 24 to 30 April annually as part of World Immunization Week, we renew our collective commitment to achieving equitable access to lifesaving vaccines for every child, every community and every country in the WHO African Region.
Immunization is not only one of the most effective public health tools; it is a fundamental right, a shared responsibility and a vital investment in our future. Vaccines have saved an estimated 154 million lives over the past 50 years, reducing infant mortality by 40% and protecting people from more than 30 deadly diseases.
In 2024, the global community celebrated 50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization. This milestone was a reminder of the extraordinary progress made – and the work that remains.
Despite the advances, far too many people in our region still lack access to essential vaccines. One in five children in Africa remain under-vaccinated. In 2023 alone, 6.7 million children received no vaccines at all – so-called “zero-dose” children. Measles outbreaks persist, while vaccine-derived poliovirus continues to pose a threat.
The theme for 2025, Immunization for all is humanly possible, is a powerful call to action. It affirms that, together, we can reach every last child, strengthen health systems, and restore and expand routine immunization services disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year also marks the midway point of Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), a global commitment to achieving equitable vaccine access by 2030. Now is the time to accelerate progress, expand coverage and close immunity gaps.
WHO and partners are working closely with countries to identify and reach zero-dose children, integrate immunization into primary health care, and build stronger, more resilient health systems. Initiatives like the Big Catch-Up are helping to restore essential services, while the introduction of new vaccines, such as those for malaria and human papillomavirus (HPV), is expanding our disease prevention arsenal.
Notable progress has also been made in the fight against vaccine-derived polio. Between 2023 and 2024, the African region recorded a 93% decline in circulating variant poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) cases, and a 65% reduction in cVDPV2. This shows that eradication is within reach – if we maintain momentum, especially in high-risk areas like the Lake Chad Basin and the Horn of Africa.
In February 2025, a high-level side event co-hosted by WHO, the African Union Commission, the Government of Sierra Leone, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and UNICEF, reviewed progress since the 2017 Addis Declaration on Immunization.
The meeting celebrated growing political commitment and system improvements, but also acknowledged challenges such as financing gaps, inequities and weak data systems. It concluded with a strong call to action: to make immunization a top priority across Africa’s health and development agendas.
To sustain and build on this progress, I call on:
Governments to increase domestic investment and secure sustainable immunization financing.Health systems to integrate vaccines into essential services and expand access.Communities to stand against misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.Global partners to continue supporting equitable vaccine access across Africa.
The WHO Regional Office for Africa remains steadfast in its support to countries and partners, working together to ensure that immunization for all is not just a goal, but a reality. Let us turn commitments into action.
Vaccinated communities are healthy communities, and no one should be left behind.
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