A long life for all: let us realise this utopia, for all the children of Africa
Writing exclusively for VaccinesWork, H.E. Madam Auxilia Mnangagwa, on behalf of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development1, closes World Immunization Week 2022 with one simple message: let's be grateful for vaccines.
- 29 April 2022
- 4 min read
- by H.E. Madam Auxillia Mnangagwa
A long life for all: this is what we called for during this African Vaccination Week. Every year, the last week of April is an opportunity to remember the inestimable value of vaccines.
Imagine an Africa where every child can fulfil their potential, free from the threat of infectious diseases. Imagine an Africa without measles, without malaria. Good news: it is possible! A long life for all is not just a slogan: it is a realistic utopia, attainable thanks to the talent and commitment of our researchers, health personnel, civil society organisations, local, national and international authorities, to ensure that everyone benefits from the extraordinary scientific innovation of vaccination to live a long and healthy life.
How lucky we are that we can be protected from nearly 30 serious diseases, from the invention of the very first vaccine against smallpox at the end of the 18th century to the vaccines against COVID-19, measles and cervical cancer. And it’s not over: research is advancing at high speed, making us hope, in the future, for the end of dozens of other scourges, including HIV.
If there is one lesson to be learned from this terrible pandemic, it is that everyone, everywhere must have access to vaccination: it is about our health, and our future. It is the actors and decision-makers of tomorrow that we must protect today, and no one must be left behind.
We are grateful to have this tool that not only works, but is also extremely safe. Vaccines show us the best of what humanity can do, when it knows how to be collectively intelligent and united. Over the past two decades, more than 1.1 billion children have been immunised, saving four to five million lives each year and halving child mortality. These are all children who can go to school, make friends, and later become fulfilled, active adults who start families and contribute to society. What a joy, and what a relief to know that these young African lives will not be impacted by the suffering of vaccine-preventable diseases.
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Putting routine immunisation back at the top of the agenda
However, this enthusiasm should not prevent us from recognising the challenges that have stood in the way of the immunisation of all children. It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic we are experiencing has slowed Africa down in its efforts to vaccinate all children.
In 2020, 23 million of them have not been able to receive their basic vaccines, the highest number since 2009. This is an immense risk not only for them, but for the whole continent, which is seeing the number of cases grow of infectious diseases such as measles, which claims the lives of tens of thousands of Africans each year.
Likewise, wild polio, which has sprung up again in southern Africa, reminds us how valuable vaccination is. The return of polio is a direct consequence of the suspension and disruption of routine vaccination campaigns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Immense progress had been made: thanks to mass vaccination campaigns, no more cases of wild polio had been detected on the continent for four years. But in 2020, WHO and UNICEF estimated that 7.7 million of our children had not received the first dose of life-saving vaccines against diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, measles and polio, an increase of 10% compared to the previous year.
We must redouble our efforts to ensure that every child, from birth, has access to routine vaccination, against measles, polio or even tuberculosis, with particular priority given to zero-dose children, those whom the immunisation programmes unfortunately fail to achieve.
Today, the WHO estimates that one in five children in Africa does not receive their basic vaccinations, essential for a carefree childhood, and more than 30 million children under the age of five suffer from diseases preventable thanks to the vaccination. At this rate, still according to the WHO, there will be 15 million zero-dose children in 2030.
Equitable access to vaccination
If there is one lesson to be learned from this terrible pandemic, it is that everyone, everywhere must have access to vaccination: it is about our health, and our future. It is the actors and decision-makers of tomorrow that we must protect today, and no one must be left behind.
This is why I commend the work of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has helped protect almost half of the world’s children since its inception in 2000: working hand in hand with governments, organisations such as WHO, UNICEF, other UN agencies, civil society, and the vaccine industry, Gavi recognises that the goal of long lives for all, which has driven us during this Africa Vaccination Week, is a team effort.
We, the African First Ladies for Development, and our organisation for which I am the vice-president, will play our role in this noble cause and continue to advocate for better health on our continent.
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By H.E. Madam Auxillia Mnangagwa, First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Vice-President of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development.
