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Business Standard
5 hours ago
- Health
- Business Standard
South Asia achieves record immunisation coverage: WHO, Unicef data
South Asia has achieved its highest-ever immunization coverage for children, with notable progress in India and Nepal, according to new data released on Tuesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF for 2024. India reduced its number of zero-dose children those who have not received a single vaccine by 43 per cent, from 1.6 million in 2023 to 0.9 million in 2024. Nepal achieved a 52 per cent reduction, from 23,000 to 11,000, a WHO statement said. Pakistan also recorded its highest-ever DTP3 (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) coverage at 87 per cent. However, Afghanistan continued to struggle, with the lowest coverage in the region and a one percentage point decline since last year, it added. The progress marks a milestone in the region's efforts to protect every child from vaccine-preventable diseases. "This is a proud moment for South Asia. More children are protected today than ever before, thanks to tireless frontline health workers, strong government leadership, donors' and partners' support and the unwavering trust of families," said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia. "But we cannot forget the millions of children who are under-vaccinated or unvaccinated. Now is the time to push further, especially into the most rural areas, to give every child his or her right to healthcare in the earliest years of life," he said. In 2024, 92 per cent of infants in South Asia received the third dose of the DTP vaccine a crucial global indicator up two percentage points from 2023. The first-dose DTP coverage rose from 93 to 95 per cent, showing a strong recovery beyond pre-COVID levels, the statement said. There was also a 27 per cent drop in zero-dose children across the region, from 2.5 million in 2023 to 1.8 million in 2024. The region also made significant strides in measles control. In 2024, 93 per cent of infants received the first dose and 88 per cent the second dose of the measles vaccine, up from 90 per cent and 87 per cent respectively. Measles cases fell 39 per cent -- from over 90,000 in 2023 to about 55,000 this year. However, coverage still remains below the 95 per cent threshold needed to prevent outbreaks, the statement said. "It is heartening to see WHO South-East Asia Region reach the highest ever immunization rates, surpassing the pre-pandemic up-trend. We must build on this momentum and step up efforts to reach every child with these lifesaving vaccines. Together we can, and we must," said Dr Thaksaphon Thamarangsi, Director Programme Management, WHO South-East Asia Region. HPV vaccination coverage for adolescent girls rose from 2 per cent in 2023 to 9 per cent in 2024. Bangladesh made significant progress, vaccinating over 7.1 million girls since launching its programme in 2023. Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka also increased their HPV coverage by 3 percentage points (91 per cent to 94 per cent), 15 points (60 per cent to 75 per cent), and 17 points (31 per cent to 48 per cent) respectively. Nepal launched its national HPV vaccination campaign in February 2025 and has vaccinated over 1.4 million girls. India and Pakistan are expected to roll out their HPV vaccination programmes later this year, the statement said. Behind these gains are sustained government efforts, investments, policies, and the dedication of frontline and community health workersmany of them womenalongside donor and partner support. Use of digital tools, improved data systems, and targeted outreach campaigns have also played a key role, it said. While significant progress was made, over 2.9 million children in the region remain un- or under-vaccinated and therefore unprotected, the statement said. With this in mind, UNICEF and WHO urged governments in South Asia to sustain political commitment, increase domestic financing for immunization, expand HPV vaccine coverage, and intensify efforts to reach zero-dose and under-vaccinated children. They also called for greater investment in frontline health workers and reinforcement of surveillance systems for vaccine-preventable diseases. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
South Asia achieves record immunization coverage; India, Nepal lead progress: WHO-UNICEF
South Asia has achieved its highest-ever immunization coverage for children, with notable progress in India and Nepal, according to new data released on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF for 2024. India reduced its number of zero-dose children — those who have not received a single vaccine — by 43%, from 1.6 million in 2023 to 0.9 million in 2024. Nepal achieved a 52% reduction, from 23,000 to 11,000, a WHO statement said. Pakistan also recorded its highest-ever DTP3 (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) coverage at 87%. However, Afghanistan continued to struggle, with the lowest coverage in the region and a one percentage point decline since last year, it added. The progress marks a milestone in the region's efforts to protect every child from vaccine-preventable diseases. "This is a proud moment for South Asia. More children are protected today than ever before, thanks to tireless frontline health workers, strong government leadership, donors' and partners' support and the unwavering trust of families," said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia. "But we cannot forget the millions of children who are under-vaccinated or unvaccinated. Now is the time to push further, especially into the most rural areas, to give every child his or her right to healthcare in the earliest years of life," he said. In 2024, 92% of infants in South Asia received the third dose of the DTP vaccine — a crucial global indicator — up two percentage points from 2023. The first-dose DTP coverage rose from 93 to 95%, showing a strong recovery beyond pre-COVID levels, the statement said. There was also a 27% drop in zero-dose children across the region, from 2.5 million in 2023 to 1.8 million in 2024. The region also made significant strides in measles control. In 2024, 93% of infants received the first dose and 88% the second dose of the measles vaccine, up from 90% and 87% respectively. Measles cases fell 39%— from over 90,000 in 2023 to about 55,000 this year. However, coverage still remains below the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks, the statement said. "It is heartening to see WHO South-East Asia Region reach the highest ever immunization rates, surpassing the pre-pandemic up-trend. We must build on this momentum and step up efforts to reach every child with these lifesaving vaccines. Together we can, and we must," said Dr. Thaksaphon Thamarangsi, Director Programme Management, WHO South-East Asia Region. HPV vaccination coverage for adolescent girls rose from 2% in 2023 to 9% in 2024. Bangladesh made significant progress, vaccinating over 7.1 million girls since launching its programme in 2023. Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka also increased their HPV coverage by 3 percentage points (91% to 94%), 15 points (60% to 75%), and 17 points (31% to 48%) respectively. Nepal launched its national HPV vaccination campaign in February 2025 and has vaccinated over 1.4 million girls. India and Pakistan are expected to roll out their HPV vaccination programmes later this year, the statement said. Behind these gains are sustained government efforts, investments, policies, and the dedication of frontline and community health workers—many of them women—alongside donor and partner support. Use of digital tools, improved data systems, and targeted outreach campaigns have also played a key role, it said. While significant progress was made, over 2.9 million children in the region remain un- or under-vaccinated and therefore unprotected, the statement said. With this in mind, UNICEF and WHO urged governments in South Asia to sustain political commitment, increase domestic financing for immunization, expand HPV vaccine coverage, and intensify efforts to reach zero-dose and under-vaccinated children. They also called for greater investment in frontline health workers and reinforcement of surveillance systems for vaccine-preventable diseases.
Forbes
11 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Closing The Digital Skills Gap: How UNICEF And Partners Empower Youth
As digital technology rapidly transforms the workforce, a global digital skills gap is leaving many young people behind, especially girls and young women. UNICEF and committed private sector partners are equipping the next generation with essential digital, entrepreneurial and AI skills, empowering them to become innovators, leaders and changemakers. Anjali poses with the sewer cleaning robot protoype that she developed at the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) at her school in Chhattisgarh, India. UNICEF, along with private sector partners, supports ATLs across India to foster a culture of learning, skilling and entrepreneurship. Why digital skills are essential for today's youth As digital technology reshapes work, too many adolescents and young people are falling behind. Globally, 65 percent of teens lack the digital skills needed for 90 percent of today's jobs, with the widest gaps in low- and middle-income countries and among girls. In many of these places, girls are 25 percent less likely than boys to access the knowledge needed for basic digital tasks. However, 86 percent of employers expect artificial intelligence (AI) and information processing technologies will transform their businesses by 2030. The theme of World Youth Skills Day 2025, 'Youth empowerment through AI and digital skills,' highlights the acute need for an inclusive, ethical and empowering future for all youth. UNICEF's role in youth digital workforce readiness UNICEF is a leader in digital skills programs that prepare young people to take part in a fast-changing economy and become the leaders their communities and the world need. This work is supported by strong private sector partners whose values, interests and corporate philanthropy aims align with UNICEF's goal to create a better world for every child. Private sector partners collaborate with UNICEF in many ways, supplying the knowledge, tools and finances that complement UNICEF's strengths and accelerate young people's path to economic security and opportunity. Trusted private sector partners allow UNICEF to plan long term and scale up programs more effectively. True collaboration and bold innovation can lead to powerful solutions, while UNICEF remains committed to promoting and upholding children's rights as AI policies and practices evolve. How public-private partnerships are transforming youth opportunities Public-private sector collaboration can scale programs from concepts to solutions and achieve greater impact at an accelerated pace than either sector can by working alone. Since 1999, fewer young people around the world have been working, even though the number of young people has grown. When youth are not working, studying or in training, their overall wellbeing suffers, diminishing their ability to contribute to future economic development and sociopolitical stability. To flip the script, more young people must be able to identify and access the skills to participate in a digital and green economy. UNICEF and SAP piloted an innovative, scalable workforce readiness program for marginalized youth in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa that supports learning to earning pathways. The program leverages Generation Unlimited's Youth Agency Marketplace (Yoma), a digital platform that connects young people with social impact tasks and learning to earning opportunities. Scaling digital learning with Yoma: a youth-led innovation The Yoma platform for youth was developed by young Africans seeking to address the stark reality that youth comprise 60 percent of all of Africa's jobless. Since 2022, the SAP and UNICEF partnership has reached over 815,000 and helped improve the lives of 250,000 more through engagement with foundational and digital skills for youth. Overall, thanks to SAP and other partners' support, Yoma has reached over 5 million engagements, which include registering more than 500,000 youth in over eight countries registered to access skilling, earning and impact opportunities through the Yoma ecosystem. Muhammad Abdullahi applies skills he learned from UNICEF Youth Agency Marketplace (Yoma) in Bauchi State, Nigeria, to his work as a health care innovator and employer. Yoma is a digital marketplace for youth to gain individualized learning and align opportunities with their aspirations. Muhammad Abdullahi, a health educator from Azare in Nigeria's Bauchi State, uses his Yoma-acquired skills to inspire change around him. Bauchi State has a high number of children who are out of school. "Growing up in a community like Azare gave me a sense that we need to call on our young people to change the narrative of how our people survive here,' he says. Muhammed used the money he earned scavenging plastic waste to pay for his university tuition. "I was afraid to graduate from university because I may not get a job, but after utilizing opportunities from Yoma, I am a proud health innovator and employer now.' How Skills4Girls builds confidence, STEM access and leadership Investment in girls' education and skills-building forges a critical pathway to dignified work and economic security. About 1 billion girls and women worldwide lack the skills to keep up in today's job market. For teenagers between 15 and 19, twice as many girls (1 in 4) are not working, learning or training compared to boys (1 in 10). With support from several private sector partners, UNICEF's Skills4Girls is closing the gap between the education girls traditionally receive and the digital skills to thrive in today's economy. The Skills4Girls develops girls' skills in STEM, digital technologies and social entrepreneurship areas and bolsters life skills like problem-solving, communication, teamwork and self-confidence. For example, thanks to Sylvamo'spartnership with UNICEF, Skills4Girls expanded its work in countries like Bolivia and Brazil to give girls greater access to STEM education and leadership training, unlocking their individual potential and yielding greater societal benefits. With more than 640 million adolescent girls living on the planet today, programs like Skills4Girls play a crucial role in supporting their growth and potential. Mary Luz, 15, of La Paz, Bolivia, created an award-winning robotic boat to collect trash from rivers and lakes. In Bolivia, only 24 percent of students in STEM are women. A UNICEF Skills4Girls program is teaching Bolivian girls to design and build robot prototypes. In Bolivia, only 24 percent of students in technological and scientific careers are women. Skills4Girls is working to improve that reality and build a better future by teaching Bolivian girls to design and build robot prototypes. 15-year-old Mary Luz from La Paz, Bolivia, dreamed of seeing nearby Lake Titicaca clean – free from pollution and plastic waste. Driven by that vision, she created a prototype robotic boat that collects trash from rivers and lakes. Mary's invention is equipped with weather sensors, a live camera and an anemometer to measure wind speed. With support from UNICEF, her creativity and determination led her to represent Bolivia at the world's largest robotics tournament. Grassroots innovation, generational power Partnerships are a means to an end, not the end itself. Each UNICEF and private sector initiative is a dynamic collaboration to lead young people somewhere better than where they started. And when young people are actively involved in crafting solutions, that goal is often reached faster. Crocs, Inc., one of UNICEF's newest skills partners, has committed to a 3-year partnership to support UNICEF's UPSHIFT, a social accelerator that prepares young people between 10 and 24 to become community changemakers and innovators. UPSHIFT aligns with Crocs, Inc.'s Step Up To Greatness program values and goals to support building skills and confidence in young people to unlock their potential. UPSHIFT equips youth with professional and transferable skills through experiential learning. Participants identify challenges in their communities and devise local, innovative solutions to address them. For example, in Ukraine, where approximately 1.5 million children are at risk of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, UPSHIFT has equipped young people to take action to address issues they care about the most. One solution is Teenage Island – created by teens for teens – on the social platform Discord. Teenage Island provides a safe virtual space for young people to connect over shared struggles. 'You can get away from unwanted reality. For us, that is the war,' says Oleksii, 22, a Teenage Island member. ofia, 17, hosts a podcast on Teenage Island, a teen-led virtual space offering connection and psychological support to young Ukrainians. UNICEF UPSHIFT participants identify challenges in their communities and devise local, innovative solutions. On Teenage Island, adolescents and young people can talk to a psychologist in group sessions, explore creative writing or dive into fantasy role-playing adventures. The team also launched a podcast series in which Sofia, a 17-year-old Ukrainian, openly discusses grief, mental health and war with a psychologist. Teenage Island exemplifies how partner funding doesn't just support immediate needs but can strengthen systems and services for sustainable progress long after UNICEF's interventions end. Partnering for a brighter future UNICEF's public-private sector partnerships for youth can bring the tech, experience and talent, and critical investment needed to supercharge skills development. Together, UNICEF and partners create scalable, forward-thinking solutions that fast-track young people's access to opportunity and build a brighter future for the next generation. Learn more about UNICEF's private sector partnerships that help bridge the digital divide and support every child's right to learn. UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, organization, product or service.
11 hours ago
- Health
More than 14M children globally have not received a dose of any vaccine: WHO
More than 14 million children around the world have not received a single dose of any vaccine, according to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. This is 4 million more children than the 2024 target set by the WHO and 1.4 million more children than in 2019, which is the baseline year for measuring progress. About 25% of the world's infants live in 26 countries that are affected by conflict, fragility or humanitarian crises, but they make up half of all unvaccinated children, according to the global health agency. Children are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated for many reasons including lack of access, disrupted supply, conflict and instability, or misinformation about vaccines. "Stalling of vaccine coverage, even the smallest drops in immunization coverage as measured at the country level, can have devastating consequences," Dr. Kate O'Brien, director of the WHO's Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, said during a press briefing on Monday. "It opens the door to deadly disease outbreaks and puts even more pressure on health systems that are already stretched. Immunization Agenda 2030 targets are in reach to protect more children [with] life-saving vaccines." Immunization Agenda 2030 is in reference to a series of goals put forth by the World Health Assembly to address challenges in improving access. However, there were some bright spots in the report. In 2024, 89% of infants globally, equivalent to about 115 million, received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine, and 85%, roughly 109 million, completed all three doses. By comparison, in 2023, about 171,000 more children received at least one vaccine and one million more children received the three doses. Protection against measles also improved, with 84% of children receiving the first dose and 76% receiving the second dose. While these are slight increases from the previous year, it means 30 million children are unprotected, especially as the world faces an increasing number of outbreaks. "The good news is that we have managed to reach more children with life-saving vaccines. But millions of children remain without protection against preventable diseases, and that should worry us all," Catherine Russell, executive director of UNICEF, said in a statement. "We must act now with determination to overcome barriers like shrinking health budgets, fragile health systems along with misinformation and access constraints because of conflicts. No child should die from a disease we know how to prevent," Russell said. The release of the data came just a few weeks after Health and Human Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the U.S. was pulling its funding from GAVI, an international organization that works to improve access to vaccines, claiming the organization "ignored the science." Kennedy claimed in a video posted online that the U.S. had provided $8 billion in funding to GAVI since 2001. Public health officials called on governments around the world to help fill the gaps in funding, although the U.S. withholding funds was not explicitly stated. "It is really, really important that maintaining these coverage trends, which are quite easily fragile unless efforts are sustained," Dr. Ephrem Lemango, associate director for health and global chief of immunization at UNICEF, said during Monday's press briefing. "It is important that we maintain our commitment to immunization, and we're calling on governments and partners and communities to do all that is necessary to maintain immunization coverage, including closing the funding gaps, serving communities in conflict and fragile settings, and addressing misinformation," Lemango said.
Asharq Al-Awsat
12 hours ago
- Health
- Asharq Al-Awsat
UN Says 14 Million Children Did Not Receive a Single Vaccine in 2024
More than 14 million children did not receive a single vaccine last year — about the same number as the year before — according to UN health officials. Nine countries accounted for more than half of those unprotected children. In their annual estimate of global vaccine coverage, released Tuesday, the World Health Organization and UNICEF said about 89% of children under one year old got a first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccine in 2024, the same as in 2023. About 85% completed the three-dose series, up from 84% in 2023. Officials acknowledged, however, that the collapse of international aid this year will make it more difficult to reduce the number of unprotected children. In January, US President Trump withdrew the country from the WHO, froze nearly all humanitarian aid and later moved to close the US AID Agency. And last month, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said it was pulling the billions of dollars the US had previously pledged to the vaccines alliance Gavi, saying the group had 'ignored the science.' Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, has previously raised questions the diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccine, which has proven to be safe and effective after years of study and real-world use. Vaccines prevent 3.5 million to 5 million deaths a year, according to UN estimates. 'Drastic cuts in aid, coupled with misinformation about the safety of vaccines, threaten to unwind decades of progress,' said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. UN experts said that access to vaccines remained 'deeply unequal' and that conflict and humanitarian crises quickly unraveled progress; Sudan had the lowest reported coverage against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. The data showed that nine countries accounted for 52% of all children who missed out on immunizations entirely: Nigeria, India, Sudan, Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Yemen, Afghanistan and Angola. WHO and UNICEF said that coverage against measles rose slightly, with 76% of children worldwide receiving both vaccine doses. But experts say measles vaccine rates need to reach 95% to prevent outbreaks of the extremely contagious disease. WHO noted that 60 countries reported big measles outbreaks last year. The US is now having its worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, while the disease has also surged across Europe, with 125,000 cases in 2024 — twice as many as the previous year, according to WHO. Last week, British authorities reported a child died of measles in a Liverpool hospital. Health officials said that despite years of efforts to raise awareness, only about 84% of children in the UK are protected. 'It is hugely concerning, but not at all surprising, that we are continuing to see outbreaks of measles,' said Helen Bradford, a professor of children's health at University College London. 'The only way to stop measles spreading is with vaccination,' she said in a statement. 'It is never too late to be vaccinated — even as an adult.'
