World Wind Day, UNICEF and others International NGOs like Save the Children They expressed alarm at the alarming situation of malaria among children living in fragile and conflict-affected countries. By 2023, 85% of the 541 children affected by wind worldwide were living in these hazardous locations.
This is a sign of a significant increase in cases, as the number of infections in these regions has more than doubled in the last five years, calling for urgent international attention and action from organizations around the world.
The Impact of Conflict on Vaccines
Ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises have severely disrupted routine childhood immunization programs. According to UNICEFVaccination rates have dropped from 75% to just 70%, well below the 95% coverage needed to achieve community immunity. This decline makes diseases such as polio a dangerous foothold, especially where health care systems are collapsing under the weight of war and instability.
Mrs. Catherine M. Russell, UNICEFThe executive director, emphasized the dire situation, saying that children living in conflict zones not only face violence, but also recover from preventable diseases.
She noted, In many countries, we are witnessing the collapse of health care systems and the destruction of critical infrastructure, stressing that without immediate action United Nations and International NGOsChildren will be vulnerable to diseases that do not exist now.
Countries most affected by wind
The analysis shows that 15 of the 21 conflict-affected countries are currently dealing with malaria, most of which are in Africa. Notable examples include Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.
These nations are not only struggling with health problems but also ongoing violence, making it more difficult to provide health care services and vaccines.
A mess, for example, UNICEF and its partners started urgent vaccination campaigns after the return of polio after a 25-year absence.
By mid-September, nearly 600,000 children under the age of ten had been vaccinated in the first round of the campaign, although violence prevented further efforts in the northern regions.
Urgent Calls for Action and Support for NGOs and Donors
UNICEF, Save the Childrenand others non-governmental organizations is strengthening its emergency response to combat the increasing cases of measles, implementing door-to-door vaccination campaigns that have reached millions of children under the age of five.
In Sudan, for example, childhood immunization coverage has fallen from 85% before the conflict to just 53% in 2023, with coverage in areas of active conflict falling to just 30%. UNICEF urges governments and stakeholders to prioritize vaccination efforts in these vulnerable regions, emphasizing the need for humanitarian intervention so that health care workers can safely administer vaccines.
Grants and the support of international donors play an important role in these efforts, to ensure that children in the most affected areas receive the care they need. International charity organizations are working with United Nations to obtain additional resources to strengthen vaccination programs in the affected areas.
Global Impact of Wind Return
The resurgence of polio is not only a threat to children in affected countries but also to neighboring countries. As wind spreads through fragile areas, it can easily cross borders, affecting previously windless areas and raising concerns about global health security.
The global decline in childhood vaccination rates is exacerbating this, leading to outbreaks even in countries that have successfully eradicated the disease for years.
UNICEFalong with the Global Wind Elimination Initiative and Gavi, The Vaccine Allianceprovides more than one billion doses of polio vaccine annually. However, increased donations and constant support from non-governmental organizations is important to effectively fight this relapse and prevent other diseases.
Conclusion: Call for Collective Action
As we mark World Typhoid Day, there is an urgent need for action to address the increasing incidence of typhoid among children in fragile and conflict-affected countries. UNICEF, Save the Childrenand others International NGOs They call on international stakeholders to raise polio eradication on the political agenda and to prioritize new solutions to strengthen the vaccination campaign.
While the fight against malaria is the most difficult in the most difficult situations, eradication can still be achieved if governments, charity organizations, and donors rallying together with determination and coordinated action. If we increase support and resources, we can protect the world’s most vulnerable children and end polio for good.