The 2025 Annual Meeting of the South-East Asia Regional Working Group on Immunization was held in New Delhi, India, from July 7 to 9, gathering over 70 health experts from nine countries. This hybrid event focused on addressing pressing immunization challenges in the region amid evolving global health dynamics.
Key Highlights of the Meeting
- Review of progress on the Regional Vaccine Implementation Plan (2022–2026).
- Concern over the rising number of zero-dose children, now at 2.72 million as of 2023.
- Reports of significant measles outbreaks across multiple countries.
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing funding constraints, particularly concerning Gavi’s Strategy 6.0 aimed at protecting 500 million children by 2030 but facing a $2.9 billion funding gap.
- National updates highlighted challenges such as vaccine hesitancy, the need for digital transformation, and strengthening disease surveillance.
- Adoption of updated terms of reference to improve coordination among partners.
Calls to Action
WHO Regional Director Ms. Saima Wazed emphasized the need for urgent and united efforts to sustain immunization achievements and enhance health outcomes for mothers and children in the region.
The meeting concluded with the development of a consolidated roadmap focused on accelerating vaccination programs, increasing domestic investments, and bolstering donor support.
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