International Rescue Committee: 73% Surge in Zero-Dose Infants in Crisis Countries... Urgent Need to Address Healthcare Inequality

'Zero-Dose' Children Surge by 73% in the Past Five Years
International Rescue Committee and 15 NGOs Supply 14 Million Vaccine Doses
Calls for Closing Vaccine Funding Gaps and Expanding Locally Led Immunization Efforts

In May, an 11-month-old infant in Dinsor, located in the southwestern region of Somalia, received their first-ever vaccination with the support of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Photo by International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), a global humanitarian organization (Korea Country Director: Eunyoung Lee), issued a warning on August 7, stating, "Millions of children in regions facing humanitarian crises such as conflict and climate disasters are at risk to their lives, unable to receive even basic vaccinations." The IRC urgently called for immediate attention and support from the international community.

According to the "2024 Global Vaccine Coverage Report" recently released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, 89% of infants under the age of one worldwide completed their first dose of the DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccine last year, with South Korea recording a high coverage rate of 98%. However, in the top 10 crisis countries identified by the IRC, the vaccination rate was only 74%, revealing a serious vaccine gap, with a decline of more than 10% compared to 2022.

In particular, over the past five years since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of unvaccinated infants worldwide has decreased by 2.5 million, while in crisis countries, the number of "zero-dose" infants?those who have not received any vaccinations?has surged by more than 73%. Currently, more than half of all unvaccinated children are concentrated in 26 countries where conflict and poverty overlap, further deepening the issue of healthcare inequality.

With the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the IRC has formed the "REACH Consortium" with 15 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide basic immunization services to children in remote areas and regions affected by conflict and disasters where access to healthcare is extremely limited. Through early identification of zero-dose children, deployment of healthcare workers, and establishment of cold chain systems, the consortium has strengthened primary healthcare systems. As a result, it has supplied more than 14 million doses of vaccines to six countries?Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Chad, and others?raising vaccination coverage in these regions from 16% to as high as 96%.

Additionally, the IRC expressed its full support for Gavi's next strategy, "Gavi 6.0," highly valuing its strategic focus on fragile and crisis-affected regions and its establishment of a sustainable funding mechanism. Gavi aims to provide vaccinations to 500 million children and adolescents and save up to 9 million lives by 2030, analyzing that an additional $3.3 billion to $3.4 billion in support will be required to achieve this goal.

To achieve these objectives, the IRC strongly urged the international community to: ▲ fill funding gaps for vaccines; ▲ strengthen immunization efforts focused on conflict and crisis regions; and ▲ prioritize locally led, evidence-based solutions.

Eunyoung Lee, Korea Country Director of the IRC, emphasized, "Vaccination is the most essential protective measure for child survival and a core tool for global health security." She added, "The vaccine programs in partnership with Gavi not only address gaps in healthcare, but also provide a foundation for access to essential services such as primary healthcare and nutrition. We urge the international community to show responsible solidarity and support to ensure the continuity of these programs."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.