This report warns that unless urgent and strategic action is taken to close the gaps in funding, research and global immunization coverage, the world will see the re-introduction of old diseases and the emergence of new infections. The report is also available in printed form
This report highlights the achievements of the Vaccines and Biologicals Department of the World Health Organization (WHO). In particular it highlights the formation of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the drop in the number of polio cases, the lack of progress in the research and development field, and the lack of access that over 37 million children still have to immunization services. In the light of these findings it lists where its efforts will focused in the future. These include facilitating and coordinating research and development activities on vaccines against diseases of poverty; strengthening routine immunization services and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance; identifying and implementing long-term financial sustainability mechanisms; certifying the world as polio-free and addressing post-eradication technical challenges;and accelerating efforts to control diseases and reduce vaccine-preventable mortality through supplemental immunicsation activities
This global summary is divided into two sections. The first provides information on the reported incidence of vaccine preventable diseases on a regional basis, and the second part contains individual country profiles, indicators of the performance of immunization systems, and a time series of the reported incidence and immunization coverage for all countries
