Immunization by the Numbers
By Tara Newton, Communications Associate, BID Initiative
Apr 29, 2015
Posted in General
Photo: PATH/Hallie Goertz
We know routine immunizations and new vaccine introductions are proven to be two of the best investments for improving health around the world, but still, children lack access to this potentially life-saving intervention. As we celebrate World Immunization Week with stories from both our demonstration countries, Zambia and Tanzania, we’re also giving pause to take a look at immunization numbers around the world.
1.5 million children die every year because they were not vaccinated.
Around the world, 1 in 5 children under five remains unvaccinated.
A child dies every 20 seconds from vaccine-preventable diseases.
70% of unvaccinated children live in 10 countries (DRC, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Uganda, and South Africa).
453,000 annual child deaths due to rotavirus which causes severe diarrhea and is preventable with a vaccine. Half of these deaths are in Africa.
1 in 5 child deaths is caused by Pneumonia.
An estimated 400 children die every day from measles, a vaccine-preventable disease.
But, the global community is making progress with the power of vaccines.
Global immunization rates for children have quadrupled since 1990.
If all children were immunized with existing vaccines, by 2020, we would save nearly 25 million lives.
As a result of vaccines, polio has been eradicated in every country except three, polio remains endemic in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria.
Approximately 40% of all children born are immunized with Gavi-supported vaccines.
More than 30 vaccine doses are administered every second worldwide through all routine immunization programs.
If the poorest countries had access to vaccines, $6.2 billion in treatment costs could be saved over the next decade.
The initial numbers are devastating, but the progress is encouraging and that is why we are investing in better immunization data collection, quality and use–so we can reach more children with vaccines and give them a better chance at a healthier start in life.
Statistics from UNICEF and Gavi