The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday renewed its call for intensified immunization efforts across the Western Pacific region, warning of a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.
The WHO stressed the need to protect hard-won gains in vaccination programs, reach children who continue to miss routine immunizations, and sustain public confidence in vaccines at every stage of life, 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, with 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 emphasized that strengthening routine immunization systems, improving outreach to underserved populations, and ensuring reliable vaccine supply chains are critical to reversing the trend.
