Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana is experiencing a troubling drop in routine childhood immunizations with only half of infants under 12 months fully vaccinated in 2024, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed.
According to a recent press statement issued by UNICEF, immunization coverage across the country has sharply declined.
The oral polio vaccine coverage has dipped to 74 percent while the measles and rubella vaccine stands well below pre-pandemic levels, at 77 percent.
Though Botswana maintained high immunization rates before the COVID-19 pandemic, it has experienced a troubling drop in coverage in recent years.
The decline is attributed to multiple factors, including pandemic-related disruptions, limited access to healthcare services in remote areas, and vaccine hesitancy in certain communities, the UN agency said.
Kimanzi Muthengi, UNICEF Acting Country Representative to Botswana, emphasized the urgency of addressing the issue, calling for “collective efforts” to ensure immunization for all.
In response to the growing concern, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) have collaborated with Botswana to develop a comprehensive National Immunization Strategy, a framework designed to improve immunization coverage, ensure equitable vaccine access, and promote long-term sustainability, said the press release.
In the face of the depressing statistics, experts in the health service have cautioned that, failure to act could leave thousands of children vulnerable to preventable diseases.
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