India's Striking Progress in Child Vaccination Reduces Zero-Dose Children by 43%

In a remarkable achievement, India has reduced the number of children missing all vaccinations by an impressive 43% within a single year, according to recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

The updated figures for 2024 reveal that India lowered its zero-dose children count from 1.6 million in 2023 to 0.9 million in 2024. Highlighting regional success, UNICEF's South Asia Director Sanjay Wijesekera praised the improvement.

Neighboring Nepal and Pakistan also showed progress, with reduced zero-dose children and increased DTP3 coverage, respectively. However, Afghanistan's low immunization rates remain a challenge, despite ongoing advances in the region.

Progress extends to HPV vaccinations, with Bangladesh leading the effort by vaccinating over 7.1 million girls. Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka followed suit, while India and Pakistan plan upcoming HPV campaigns.

Despite these gains, over 2.9 million South Asian children remain unvaccinated. Dr. Thaksaphon Thamarangsi of the WHO urged continued efforts to build on the momentum and achieve comprehensive immunization coverage.

(With inputs from agencies.)