North Africa (Washington Insider Magazine)- Millions of children across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remain at risk of preventable diseases due to a significant decline in vaccination coverage. According to the latest WHO and UNICEF estimates (WUENIC), released in 2023, the number of “zero-dose” children—those who have not received even the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine—has surged to a staggering 1.64 million. This represents a sharp increase from 1.2 million in 2022 and more than double the 872,000 zero-dose children reported in 2019.
UNICEF Regional Director for MENA, Adele Khodr, expressed alarm over the growing number of undervaccinated children, warning of the real threat posed by diseases that could be prevented through vaccination. The MENA region ranks sixth out of seven UNICEF regions for DTP1 vaccine coverage, which fell to 85 percent in 2023—down seven percentage points from 2019.
Conflicts and humanitarian crises are among the primary drivers of this worrying trend, with war-torn countries like Sudan, Yemen, and Syria accounting for nearly 87 percent of the zero-dose children in the region. Sudan alone is home to 42 percent of these children. Even in traditionally high-coverage countries such as the State of Palestine, conflict has started to erode immunization rates, and the ongoing violence in Gaza threatens to worsen the situation in 2024 unless urgent action is taken.
Measles vaccination rates have also suffered, with coverage dropping by four percentage points since 2019, leaving almost 2 million children in MENA without their first dose of the vaccine. While vaccination coverage varies across the region, 13 out of 20 countries have maintained a coverage rate of 90 percent or higher. Encouragingly, five middle-income countries are showing signs of recovery from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, putting them on track to meet the goals of the Immunization Agenda 2030.
Khodr emphasized the need for governments to prioritize investments in health systems and ensure that every child receives the necessary vaccines. She also highlighted the importance of supporting frontline workers and ensuring safe humanitarian access, especially in conflict zones, to prevent further backsliding in immunization efforts.
If the region is to protect its children from preventable diseases, urgent action is needed to reverse these declining vaccination rates.
