Vaccines Prevent Around 1.8m Deaths in Africa, WHO Reveals

Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the Regional Director for Africa, World Health Organisation (WHO), has revealed that vaccines prevent around 1.8 million deaths in the continent yearly.

According to him, a saved life is more than a number, adding that it is families kept whole.

Janabi stated this on the occasion of African Vaccination Week 2026, emphasising that clinics should be free to care instead of battling outbreaks, noting that communities will be able to work, farm and trade without disruption.

African Vaccination Week is being marked from 24 to 30 April under the theme, “For Every Generation, Vaccines Work”.

He said, “During this year’s commemoration, we highlight the protection immunisation provides across the life course. Since 2000, around 500 million African children have been protected through routine vaccination.

“But protection does not end in childhood. HPV vaccines help shield adolescent girls from cervical cancer. Maternal vaccines protect both mother and newborn.

“Boosters and other recommended doses help maintain immunity through adulthood and later life. Immunisation is a lifelong investment in health.”

Janabi disclosed that across Africa, countries are already showing what is possible through innovation, noting that digital records help track schedules.

He said, “Solar-powered refrigerators keep vaccines safe in remote clinics. Community leaders work alongside health services to reach more families.

“In 25 countries, malaria vaccines are being introduced as a powerful new tool against a long-standing threat. In December 2025, the African Regional Verification Commission confirmed that Cabo Verde, Mauritius and Seychelles have eliminated measles and rubella. They are the first countries in the WHO African Region to achieve this milestone.”

Janabi expressed that through sustained coverage and strong surveillance, records have shown that a measles-free Africa is within reach.

He maintained that through the Big Catch-Up initiative, nearly 8.75 million children who had missed routine vaccines were reached, adding that coverage for diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

He further disclosed that since 1988, polio vaccination efforts have averted an estimated 1.57 million deaths and prevented paralysis in more than 20 million people.

He said, “In the Lake Chad Basin and the Horn of Africa, governments, communities and frontline vaccinators protected nearly 200 million children last year.

“Sustained cross-border coordination will be critical to finishing the job of ending vaccine-derived poliovirus transmission.
Yet we must also be honest about the challenges.

“Around 6.7 million children in the Region have not received a single routine vaccine. A further 9.5 million remain under-immunised. Many live in fragile communities affected by conflict and poverty, or which are geographically isolated.”

He also said, “Continued measles outbreaks, the risk of vaccine-derived poliovirus transmission and recent diphtheria cases remind us that progress can quickly be reversed.

“At the midpoint of Immunisation Agenda 2030, we stand at a crossroads. We must renew our commitment to this ambitious vision at a time when predictable external funding can no longer be assumed.”

Janabi advised that Africa must deepen domestic resource mobilisation and strengthen national ownership, noting that Immunisation is not a stand-alone programme but a pillar of primary health care and a foundation of universal health coverage.

He said, “It is also one of the smartest investments countries can make. Every dollar spent on childhood immunisation in Africa returns an estimated forty-four dollars in economic benefits. The dividend is paid through lower health-care costs, stronger productivity and more resilient societies.”

Janabi disclosed that the WHO Regional Office for Africa recently launched a report in collaboration with our valued partner, Gavi.

He said, Towards Immunisation Agenda 2030 targets: two decades of immunisation efforts in the WHO African Region recognise what we have achieved, identify gaps and set the baseline from which we accelerate toward 2030.”

“On the occasion of African Vaccination Week 2026, I call on Member States, partners, communities and all stakeholders to work together so the benefits of immunisation reach every person, at every stage of life,” he concluded.