The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a “child survival crisis” in Africa, according to a new report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Nearly 13 million African children missed one or more vaccinations between 2019 and 2021, leaving the continent vulnerable to further outbreaks of disease. UNICEF’s report, “The State of the World’s Children 2023,” confirms the worst regression for childhood vaccinations in 30 years, with Africa being the region with the highest number of unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children. The report also shows that 8.7 million African children didn’t receive a single dose of any vaccine from 2019-2021.
The pandemic has disrupted childhood vaccinations almost everywhere, UNICEF said. The “intense demands on health systems, the diversions of immunization resources to COVID-19 vaccination, health worker shortages, and stay-at-home measures” have all contributed to missed vaccinations worldwide. Conflicts, climate change, and vaccine hesitancy have also played a role.
The lack of resilience and persistent weaknesses in health systems and primary health care in Africa have been exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic, UNICEF said. In 2020, 34 of the 54 countries in Africa experienced disease outbreaks such as measles, cholera, and poliovirus. The resurgence of these diseases should serve as a clear warning for African leaders, according to Mohamed M. Fall, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
The World Health Organization (WHO) released its assessment on Thursday, stating that Africa needs to vaccinate an estimated 33 million children by 2025 to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic’s “disruptive wake.” The WHO’s assessment emphasizes the need for health authorities to “catch up” with missed vaccinations to prevent more deadly disease outbreaks.
UNICEF called on African leaders to take strong political action to reduce the gap in vaccination and ensure that all children are immunized and protected. Children born just before or during the pandemic are now moving past the age when they would normally be vaccinated, highlighting the urgency of the situation.