Health
WHO Calls for Urgent Action as Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Rise
GENEVA, Switzerland; NEW YORK, United States — The World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Gavi are sounding the alarm as misinformation, population growth, humanitarian crises, and funding cuts threaten global immunization efforts during World Immunization Week from April 24 to 30.
Recent reports show a disturbing rise in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, meningitis, and yellow fever. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that funding cuts to global health are endangering hard-won gains. “Vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past five decades,” he said. “Outbreaks are putting lives at risk and exposing countries to increased costs.”
Measles, in particular, has seen a troubling resurgence. In 2023 alone, there were an estimated 10.3 million cases, a 20% jump from the previous year. Governments in 138 countries reported measles cases, with 61 experiencing significant outbreaks.
The issue is exacerbated in Africa, where meningitis cases sharply increased in 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, over 5,500 suspected cases were reported across 22 countries, resulting in nearly 300 deaths. Yellow fever also re-emerged, with 124 confirmed cases in the African region in 2024.
A recent survey by WHO revealed that nearly half of its 108 country offices are experiencing severe disruptions due to reduced donor funding. This is detrimental to vaccination campaigns, with more than 14.5 million children missing their routine vaccine doses in 2023, most of whom live in conflict-affected areas.
“The global funding crisis is severely limiting our ability to vaccinate over 15 million vulnerable children against measles,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “We cannot afford to lose ground in the fight against preventable diseases.”
The international agencies are urging for immediate and sustained political action to prevent further regression, calling for increased public awareness and funding support for immunization programs.
Gavi CEO Dr. Sania Nishtar emphasized that fighting back against epidemics is possible if investments are made in health defenses. As part of their efforts, Gavi will host a high-level pledging summit on June 25, 2025, with the goal of raising at least $9 billion to protect 500 million children and potentially save 8 million lives by 2030.
