HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) 鈥� programs across Africa have saved tens of millions of lives over the past two decades, but progress is slowing in some countries, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, amid warnings that risk leaving millions of children unprotected.
Health systems in the face growing uncertainty following the U.S. pullback from global health funding under President Donald , alongside disruptions linked to the that are straining aid budgets and supply chains.
Announcing its first-ever comprehensive analysis of immunization in the region, said more than 500 million children have been reached through routine vaccination since 2000, preventing over 4 million deaths each year.
Overall, it said vaccines have saved more than 50 million lives in Africa over the past five decades, 鈥済aining an estimated 60 years of life expectancy for each infant life saved鈥� during that period.
In 2024 alone, vaccines saved nearly 2 million lives, the agency said, pointing to key milestones including the eradication of wild poliovirus in 2020, 鈥渁 historic milestone for Africa,鈥� and the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus in most countries.
Vaccines against , a disease that kills more than 400,000 people annually, most of them children under five in Africa, are now being introduced in 25 countries. Mohamed Janabi, the WHO regional director for Africa, called that 鈥渁 major scientific and public health breakthrough鈥� during an online press briefing.
But he also warned that 鈥減rogress is uneven and in some places really slowing,鈥� after increased the number of children who have never received a single vaccine.
Ten countries account for 80% of children who haven鈥檛 received any vaccine in the region, he said, describing it as 鈥渁 profound equity issue.鈥�
鈥淭hese immunization outcomes reflect very different realities, and we have more work to do to ensure we are consistently able to reach children, even in the most fragile and remote contexts,鈥� said Sania Nishtar, chief executive of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which partners with WHO in vaccination efforts.
Aid cuts since Trump returned to the White House in 2025 have been devastating, Janabi said. The in January resulted in the loss of about 40% of the agency鈥檚 overseas development funding, he said, and urged African governments to increase domestic health financing to mitigate the impact.
The U.S-Iran war, which has and increased gas prices, is concerning for a where 鈥渕any of our facilities depend on generators,鈥� said Adelheid Onyango, the WHO Africa director for health systems and services. She said the agency is yet to quantify the war’s impact.
Health experts such as Shabir Madhi, a professor of vaccinology and dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at South Africa鈥檚 University of the Witwatersrand, say funding is emerging as the 鈥渂iggest threat鈥� to Africa’s immunization efforts as the U.S. and other Western donors tighten aid to poorer countries.
In many countries, aid-funded programs , reducing access to basic health services, including clinics, health workers, cold-chain infrastructure and outreach services that vaccination campaigns rely on.
鈥淚t can鈥檛 be that we continue relying on the likes of Gavi Vaccine Alliance, which has done a tremendous amount of work in terms of ensuring that there鈥檚 increasing uptake of new vaccines,鈥� said Madhi. 鈥淭he Gavi Vaccine Alliance itself is already experiencing a financial crunch. What we need to start putting on the table is what percentage of the immunization program should be funded by countries … to ensure that not just a few children are getting vaccinated.鈥�
___
For more on Africa and development:
The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP鈥檚 for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
