Peer-reviewed article
Addressing the persistent inequities in immunization coverage
Mickey Chopra, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Diana Chang Blanc, Francesco Checchi, Anuradha Gupta et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This peer-reviewed article examines how immunization programmes can contribute to universal health coverage, a key sustainable development goal. It notes that immunization has been successful globally, with 86% of infants receiving DTP3 vaccine in 2018. The article discusses how regular contact between health providers and communities through immunization programmes enables delivery of additional health interventions. It highlights lessons from polio campaigns and child health days that show combining interventions with vaccination campaigns can increase coverage of both.
Key points
- 86% of the world's infants received three doses of DTP3 vaccine in 2018
- Immunization programmes that maintain regular contact between health providers and communities can enable delivery of additional interventions
- Polio campaigns and child health days strategies show that incorporating additional interventions increases coverage of both vaccinations and other health services
- Immunization programmes contribute to achieving universal health coverage under SDG 3
- Challenges to achieving UHC include increased demands on health sector with static or shrinking budgets
Limitations
This document provides an overview of immunization programmes and their potential contribution to UHC but does not evaluate a specific intervention or present original research data on equity outcomes. It cannot tell us the specific barriers to immunization coverage for marginalized populations or the effectiveness of particular strategies to address inequities.
Abstract
A key focus of the health-related sustainable development goal (SDG) 3 is universal health coverage (UHC), including access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and \nvaccines. However, the challenges to achieving UHC are substantial, especially with increased demands on the health sector and with most budgets being static or shrinking. \nImmunization programmes have been successful in reaching children \nworldwide. For example, 86% of the world’s infants had received three doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) \nvaccine in 2018. The experiences from such programmes can contribute to UHC, and as these programmes strive to adapt to new global strategic frameworks, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s \nstrategy Gavi and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Immunization Agenda 2030, these efforts can inform \nthe progressive realization of UHC. Immunization programmes that can sustain regular levels of contact between health providers and beneficiaries at the community level have enabled new vaccines to be added to routine immunization schedules and other interventions to be delivered to children and their families. In addition, experiences from both polio campaigns and the child health days strategy show that incorporating additional interventions into campaigns can \nincrease coverage of these interventions as well as of vaccinations.