KATHMANDU, 09 september 2021 (TATOLI)- The World Health Organization (WHO) is urged countries in the Southeast Asia region to increase routine immunizations in line with ongoing efforts to rapidly increase coverage of COVID-19 vaccinations.
“Vulnerability to vaccine-preventable diseases has increased with the pandemic disrupting essential immunization services and surveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases. While efforts are underway, much remains to be done especially at the sub-national level and to reach underserved and underserved populations,” said WHO SEARO (South East Asia Region) Regional Director, Poonam Khetrapal Singh at a Regional Committee meeting The Seventy-Four conducted online in Kathmandu, Nepal, fell yesterday.
In a press release issued by the official WHO portal, explaining the rapid progress made until the start of the pandemic, saying, in 2019 the SEARO region was in the best historical position regarding vaccine-preventable disease control with 91% coverage with three doses of vaccine. DTP (DTP3). Ten out of 11 countries have achieved DTP3 coverage of more than 90%.
The COVID-19 pandemic also has an impact on the implementation of the measles and rubella elimination strategy which is a top priority in the SEARO region. Estimated coverage with the first dose of measles vaccine (MCV1) in the Region decreased to 88% in 2020 compared to 94% in 2019.
Similarly, coverage with a second dose of measles-containing vaccine decreased to 78% in 2020 compared to 83% in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has also created surveillance gaps in some countries and has delayed the implementation of mass vaccination campaigns and other immunization-related activities.
“There is an urgent need to repair the damage caused by COVID-19, to regain the momentum achieved in the previous decade, and to protect infants, young people and adults with life-saving vaccines,” said Khetrapal Singh.
Ongoing Regional Committee meeting discusses the Strategic Framework for the Southeast Asia Regional Vaccine Action Plan 2022−2030 which focuses on rolling out COVID-19 vaccination and restoring immunization systems and surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases from the effects of the Covid19 Pandemic.
“We need to ensure a strategy to maintain and increase routine immunization without affecting efforts to increase the COVID-19 vaccination rate,” explained the Regional Director.
Adequate human resources for routine immunization and COVID-19 vaccination, efforts to build public confidence to access immunization services and having Standard Operating Procedures in place to increase immunization activities as soon as the lockdown period ends, are some of the important steps that need to be taken. He said.
“Implementation of the framework will require high-level political and programmatic commitment and partner collaboration to which WHO is committed,” he said.
Countries in the Region are making unprecedented efforts to expand coverage of COVID-19 vaccinations with more than 915 million doses administered across the SEARO Region. The availability of more vaccine doses in recent weeks has helped increase coverage.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Region has maintained its status as polio eradication and maternal and infant tetanus elimination. Measles elimination has been achieved and maintained in five countries, while two countries have also rubella elimination. Four countries have verified that they have achieved hepatitis B control through immunization.
The Regional Committee Meeting is the annual meeting of the WHO Southeast Asia Region. Organized by Nepal, the gathering was held virtually for the second year in a row in light of the pandemic.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
