Science and Health

WHO: Lapses threaten regional immunization goals

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-14 17:40

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia -- Despite substantial progress in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases in the Western Pacific region, goals to eliminate measles and reduce hepatitis B infections by 2012, and maintain polio-free status, are still at risk.

This was due to immunization and surveillance gaps, said the World Health Organization (WHO) at the 61st Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in Malaysia's federal administration center here on Thursday.

Some member states in the region continue to have inadequate coverage of routine or supplementary immunizations to eliminate measles, achieve the hepatitis B goal, and mitigate the risks resulting from wild poliovirus importation, said WHO regional director Shin Young-soo.

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An estimated 25 of the Western Pacific's 37 countries and areas have likely eliminated measles and 27 will probably achieve hepatitis B control by 2012, reflecting a dramatic decline in measles incidence and deaths and in hepatitis B infection among children.

Shin told the meeting that countries need to make available additional human and financial resources to fully implement the established strategies against vaccine-preventable diseases.

According to the WHO, two-dose immunization coverage is inadequate in some countries, making it difficult to achieve and sustain measles elimination.

Very high coverage during upcoming immunization campaigns will be critical to interrupt measles virus transmission throughout the Region.

In addition, nine countries with insufficient immunization coverage levels to achieve the hepatitis B infection control goal will need to strengthen efforts to reduce chronic infection rates and mortality from liver disease

Shin said that preventing the potential spread of imported wild poliovirus by reducing immunization and surveillance gaps in countries is far more cost effective than bringing a polio outbreak under control.

But coverage with three doses of oral polio vaccine was less than 90 percent in 10 countries and areas in the Western Pacific region in 2009, said Shin.

The recent importation of wild poliovirus into the WHO European region and the polio outbreak in Tajikstan and Russia serve as a reminder that achieving and maintaining high levels of immunization coverage and good surveillance quality are important to keep the region polio-free.

"Countries should be ready for the importation threat with a comprehensive national importation preparedness plan," said Shin.

According to the WHO fact sheet, measles incidence in the region decreased by 58 percent, from 81.6 per million population in 2008, to 34 per million population in 2009.

Meanwhile, an estimated 27 countries and areas, comprising 88 percent of the region's population, are likely to achieve the interim milestone of reducing chronic hepatitis B infection to less than two percent among 5-year-old children in 2012.