Immunization featured prominently at the 79th session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia (RC79). According to the latest WHO and Unicef estimates, the region now has the highest routine immunization coverage among all six who regions. The event also recognized several achievements: India: Sustained elimination of maternal and neonata...
Gender-related barriers continue to affect equitable access to immunization services and outcomes. Addressing these barriers is essential to improving coverage, reaching zero-dose children, and ensuring that no one is left behind. Join us on 13 October 2026 for the launch webinar of the new self-paced online course, Integrating a Gender Lens i...
The Central African Republic has achieved the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT), marking a major public health milestone for a country that, at the end of 2025, was among only eight worldwide yet to validate elimination of the disease. This achievement follows three nationwide tetanus vaccination campaigns conducted between 2020 an...
SPECIAL FEATURE WITH BIRGITTE GIERSING AND MATEUSZ HASSO-AGOPSOWICZ - WHO'S DEPARTMENT OF IMMUNIZATION, VACCINES & BIOLOGICALS. Why are combination vaccines so important for childhood immunization programmes globally, and what benefits do they offer to families, health workers and health systems?Combination vaccines enable...
This cross-case study report synthesizes findings from mixed-methods case studies conducted in Cameroon, Nigeria, Pakistan, the United Republic of Tanzania and Yemen to examine implementation of the Big Catch-Up, a global initiative launched in 2023 by WHO, UNICEF, Gavi and partners to help countries recover immunization coverage lost during the CO...
Location: Pune, India Date: 11-13 August 2026Participants: Expert on laboratory biosafety and biosecurity, NAC secretariat, members from India Audit team, Officials and members from two polio essential facilities; National Institute of Virology, Pune and Reliance Industries, WHO-Headquarter, Geneva, WHO-SEARO, India Purpose: The Orientation meeting...
Location: New Delhi, Delhi and Ghaziabad, IndiaDate: 31 August–3 September 2026Participants: Participants included national and subnational immunization programme managers, technical experts and WHO country office staff from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste. Indian counterparts included representatives of the Ministry of Health...
Chad has reached an important milestone in routine immunization: coverage for the third dose of the pentavalent vaccine (DTP-HepB-Hib3) increased from 41% in 2016 to 71% in 2025, according to the 2026 WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC). Over the same period, investments in service delivery and logistics helped improve t...
FIELD LESSONS FROM A FOUR-COUNTRY, NURSE- AND MIDWIFE-LED HPV VACCINATION INITIATIVE IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA—AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR INTEGRATED, DIGITALLY ENABLED CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION Why now Cervical cancer remains the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. The preventable disease claimed the lives of almost 350,000 women...
Please find below a list of upcoming meetings centered around the immunization community. Please feel free to add yours by requesting to
Special featue with the WHO/HQ - Immunization Data Team. 1. How do digital tools contribute to improving the quality and timeliness of immunization data used for the WHO/UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage (WUENIC) estimates?At national and subnational level digital tools strengthen immunization programmes...
Venue: Colombo, Sri LankaDates: 22-23 June 2026 Participants: SEA-RVC Chair and members; representatives of National Verification Committees (NVCs) from all ten Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region; Ministry of Health and Mass Media, Sri Lanka; WHO headquarters, WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, Western Pacific Region and WHO coun...
Venue: Colombo, Sri Lanka Dates: 24 to 26 June 2026Participants: SEA-RCCPE Chair and members, Representatives of National Certification Committees for Polio Eradication (NCCPEs), National Containment Task Force, Polio Laboratory Network, Ministry of Health and Mass Media (Sri Lanka-host country), donor and partner agencies (UNICEF, Rotary Internati...
The Measles Analytics Hub (MAH) held its annual meeting from 10–12 June in Jakarta, Indonesia, bringing together experts to advance the use of modelling and analytics in support of measles control and elimination efforts. Established in 2024 and funded by the Gates Foundation, the MAH has grown into a global network of 450 members from 58 countries...
Dates: 14-16 April 2026 Location: New Delhi, IndiaParticipants: Regional Consultation brought together more than 90 participants (both face-to-face and virtual) from all ten Member States, the SEAR-ITAG, vaccine manufacturers, academic institutions, regulatory authorities, and development partners. The inaugural session was attended by Dr VK Paul, ...
The African continent joined the global community in commemorating World Immunization Week under the banner of African Vaccination Week from 24–30 April 2026, to raise awareness about vaccines and vaccination. This year’s commemoration presented a valuable opportunity to review the progress made through the Big Catch-Up (BCU) initiative across the ...
With Stephanie Shendale, Scientist, WHO's Department of Immunization, Vaccines & Biologicals. 1. Who are zero-dose children, and why are they a key indicator of inequity in immunization? Zero-dose children are programmatically defined as infants who have not received their first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP)-containi...
Venue: Jaipur, India. Dates:18-20 February 2026The Global Rotavirus and Pediatric Diarrhea Surveillance Meeting was held to bring together key network stakeholders to review progress and identify priorities for strengthening surveillance and response to pediatric diarrheal diseases. Participants highlighted how surveillance...
With Lisa Menning, Team Lead, Demand and Behavioural Sciences, WHO's Department of Immunization, Vaccines & Biologicals. 1. Immunization programmes have made enormous progress globally. Why is maintaining public confidence in vaccines a top priority for global health? Public confidence is essent...
Maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) remains a major public health problem in African region despite decades of tremendous efforts to control and eliminate the disease[1][2]. WHO estimates that in 2023, 4,585 newborns died from Neonatal Tetanus, a 75% reduction from the situation in 2000[3]. According to the Global Aim Lab, “each year, 2.6 million b...