A groundbreaking study to be published by The Lancet reveals that global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives – equivalent to 6 lives every minute over the past 50 years. The vast majority of lives saved – 101 million – were those of infants.

The study demonstrates that immunization stands as the single greatest contribution of any health intervention in ensuring not only the survival of infants beyond their first birthdays but also their ability to lead healthy lives into adulthood, said a press release, recently issued by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

Over the past 50 years, vaccination against 14 diseases (including diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, measles, meningitis A, pertussis, invasive pneumococcal disease, polio, rotavirus, rubella, tetanus, tuberculosis, and yellow fever) has contributed to reducing infant deaths by 40% globally.

As a result of vaccination against polio, more than 20 million people can walk today who would otherwise have been paralyzed, bringing the world to the brink of eradicating polio once and for all.

These gains in childhood survival underscore the importance of safeguarding immunization progress in every country and accelerating efforts to reach the 67 million children who missed out on one or more vaccines during the pandemic years.

The study highlights that when the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) was launched, fewer than 5% of infants globally had access to routine immunization.

It says 84% of infants are protected with three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) – a global marker for immunization coverage.

In Uzbekistan, UNICEF’s technical assistance, in collaboration with Gavi, WHO, and USAID, significantly improved immunization services and infrastructure, benefiting three and a half million children through the National Immunization Programme.

This includes ensuring a steady supply of safe vaccines, enabling 950,000 children to receive three doses of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DPT) vaccine annually.

In 2023, UNICEF facilitated the procurement of 28.1 million routine immunization doses and ten million COVID-19 vaccine doses through the COVAX facility.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) reports 96 percent coverage with routine vaccines and 54.1 percent completion of the COVID-19 primary vaccination series. Additionally, 47.3 percent of the population (16.1 million people) received a booster, with no vaccine stockouts reported.

WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and BMGF unveiled “Humanly Possible”, a joint campaign, marking the annual World Immunization Week, 24-30 April 2024.

The worldwide communication campaign called on world leaders to advocate, support, and fund vaccines and the immunization programs that delivered these lifesaving products – reaffirming their commitment to public health while celebrating one of humanity’s greatest achievements.