WHO Urges Stronger Immunisation Efforts In Western Pacific

MANILA, April 24 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday renewed its call for intensified immunisation efforts across the Western Pacific region, warning that such measures are necessary to avoid a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.

The WHO stressed the need to protect hard-won gains in vaccination programmes, reach children who continue to miss routine immunisations, and sustain public confidence in vaccines at every stage of life.

This was according to a statement from the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila, Philippines.

"Vaccines are a miracle of science and medicine, and they have protected generations of families and communities across our region. But we cannot take this protection for granted," said Saia Ma'u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific.

Yet in 2024, nearly 2.1 million children in the Western Pacific missed at least one vaccine dose, leaving far too many at risk of preventable diseases.

Across the region – home to 2.2 billion people, representing over a quarter of the world’s population – countries have made major gains against vaccine-preventable diseases, according to the WHO.

The WHO emphasised that strengthening routine immunisation systems, improving outreach to underserved populations, and ensuring reliable vaccine supply chains are critical to reversing the trend.

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA